New Rumor Claims To Reveal Key Details About A Severance Deal For Kathleen Kennedy To Leave Lucasfilm And Star Wars

John F. Trent |

Dec 13, 2022

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 15: (L-R) Kathleen Kennedy and Diego Luna arrive at the special 3-episode launch event for Lucasfilm's original series Andor at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on September 15, 2022. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)

A new rumor claims that Kathleen Kennedy has not only reached a severance or settlement deal with The Walt Disney Company to walk away from Lucasfilm and Star Wars, but also claims to reveal some of the numbers from the agreement.

This new rumor comes from Bionic Woman and Sleeper Cell producer Kamran Pasha on the Valliant Renegade YouTube channel.

Pasha first reveals this is not first hand information, but information he’s received from a trusted source. He says, “I do not have direct first-hand knowledge. I have not seen the documents involved. I can only relay what this person has conveyed to me who claims that they have.”

He went on to detail the information, “Apparently, Kathleen Kennedy has reached a severance settlement with Disney. She has reached an agreement with Disney according to this source, and he gave me specific information as to what is in that severance agreement.”

Pasha then went on to reveal, “The claim is that the severance contract that she has closed with Disney would giver her between $25 and $30 million in a severance golden parachute payout to leave Disney. But my source said what’s interesting is that a very substantial amount of it is in stock or stock options to the point that my source actually made the comment that they were surprised.”

He reiterated, “They were surprised at how large a part of that severance package was in stock.”

Pasha then relays, “That’s the breaking news that we have the claim of an actual closed severance agreement for her to depart in 2023 to the tune of $25-30 million dollars substantially in stock.”

“And that my understanding is that she will be allowed to quietly remain the head of Lucasfilm for a few more months and tying into what we were talking about that the exit appears to be linked to Indiana Jones, which I understand June 30th I believe is the release date of Indiana Jones,” he asserted.

He then adds, “And so theoretically shortly thereafter. Probably early July, maybe shortly after whatever the accolades they hope to get out of Indiana Jones, which may or may not exist. But whatever press they can get out of it they will then announce her retirement or at least present it as her retiring on her golden laurels.”

Pasha then went on to detail a second source contacted him and informed him that at least one of the trade outlets such as The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, or Variety have also got wind of Kennedy’s retirement, but they are currently not reporting on it.

Pasha stated, “A second source then came to me in the past few days and said that they were talking to a reporter at the trades, at one of the trades, who says, ‘No, we have received information that Kathleen Kennedy has reached a closing deal, but we are not being permitted to reveal it.’ I guess as a trade, you pull off and hold back information at the request of the studios.”

This rumor follows a recent one from YouTuber John Campea who also claimed Kennedy would be out shortly after the release of the new Indiana Jones movie back on November 22nd.

Campea stated, “This is what I have heard: I have heard that the decision to remove Kathy Kennedy has already been made and that she will be gone either sometime before or very, very, very shortly thereafter the release of Indiana Jones 5… Now, I want to be very, very clear here: I cannot independently say to you and confirm that this is a fact. I will say that one of the two people that have contacted me has a 1000% average on the things they’ve informed me of.”

WDW Pro at That Park Place predicted back in July that Kennedy would be out some time in late 2023 following the release of the fifth Indiana Jones film. He wrote, “What I had been hearing for years is that Kathleen Kennedy wants to finish Indiana Jones 5 and she wants to continue having Star Wars influence.”

He later noted, “I think that Kathleen Kennedy may finally sunset her obligations at that point. It will likely be late 2023, and of course plenty can change between now and then.”

Kennedy exiting the company after Indiana Jones goes as far back as 2019 when Making Star Wars’ Jason Ward claimed on his podcast that Kennedy would step down as President after Indiana Jones 5, but would continue to produce films.

A recap of the paywalled podcast was shared to Reddit by user Sidon_Ithano and it read in part, “Jason heard that Kathleen Kennedy will step down as LucasFilm president after Indiana Jones 5 but will still produce movies. Kevin Feige will run LucasFilm but will have separate divisions run by other people.”