Josh Gad Clarifies LeFou's Character Intentions

Josh Gad, who played LeFou in Disney's 2017 'Beauty and the Beast' remake, addresses the controversy over his character being labeled as Disney's first gay character. Gad clarifies in his memoir, 'In Gad We Trust,' that LeFou's brief dance with another man was not intended to be a significant LGBTQ moment, and he never portrayed the character as gay. The film's director, Bill Condon, had initially described the scene as a 'nice, exclusively gay moment,' which led to international backlash and boycotts, although the film was a commercial success. Gad expresses that the portrayal was ambiguous and not the representation the queer community sought, criticizing Disney for self-congratulating on what he felt was a minor and unexplored moment. The creative team had decided that LeFou's admiration for Gaston was non-sexual, focusing more on hero worship than romantic desire. Gad emphasizes that the moment was overemphasized and misinterpreted, sparking unnecessary controversy.