The Real Reason Disney Princesses Never Have Mothers

September 14, 2014

Have you ever wondered why so many Disney princesses are missing a mother figure? Ariel from The Little Mermaid, Jasmine from Aladdin, Belle from Beauty and the Beast, and even Elsa and Anna from Frozen are all motherless.

Credit: Disney

Disney Producer Don Hahn revealed the answer in a new interview with Glamour magazine: Walt Disney was traumatized by his own mother's death.

Although Walt Disney had his mother as a child, Hahn said he did feel responsible for her death and was "haunted" by it. "[Disney] bought a house for his mom and dad to move into," explained Hahn. "He had the studio guys come over and fix the furnace, but when his mom and dad moved in, the furnace leaked and his mother died. The housekeeper came in the next morning and pulled his mother and father out on the front lawn. His father was sick and went to the hospital, but his mother died."

Credit: Disney

But why does the trend continue long after Walt Disney's death in 1966?

Perhaps the answer is simple. As Cogsworth once said, "If it ain't baroque... don't fix it."

(H/T) Refinery