Mellody Hobson Steps Down from LA28 Olympic Board as Lucas Museum Prepares to Open

Mellody Hobson, the high‑profile Black executive who co‑founded the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art with husband George Lucas, has quietly resigned from the board of the LA28 Olympic Games organizing committee, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The decision comes just days before the museum’s public opening on September 22, after a wave of protests from the Fair Games Coalition, a left‑leaning activist group that has been targeting Hobson for her role in the Olympics effort.

LA28 has been mired in a series of well‑publicized headaches—ballooning costs for tickets, security and transportation, as well as controversy surrounding board chair Casey Wasserman’s past association with convicted sex‑trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. The committee has also faced criticism for its political maneuvering, including the appointment of former Trump chief of staff Reince Priebus and ex‑Speaker Kevin McCarthy to its board.

According to people close to Hobson, she stepped away to focus on making sure the new museum, a billion‑dollar project funded by Lucas’ Star Wars fortune, gets off to a smooth start in a historically underserved part of South Los Angeles. The museum has touted community‑first programs, such as free admission for nearby residents, but activists argue that the broader legacy of the 2028 Games must prioritize jobs, immigrant protections and affordable housing.

The Fair Games Coalition staged a rally outside a museum event on September 13 and plans another demonstration during the lavish inaugural celebration, which will feature celebrities like Tom Cruise, Greta Gerwig, Steven Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro and Pharrell Williams. “Everyday Angelenos deserve leaders who step up, not step down,” said Victor Sanchez, executive director of the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, echoing the coalition’s demand for a more inclusive Olympic legacy.

Hobson, who also serves on the boards of JPMorgan Chase, the Rockefeller Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, has been a trailblazer in corporate America—former chair of Starbucks and DreamWorks Animation, and co‑CEO of Ariel Investments. Her departure marks another chapter in a year of intense scrutiny for Los Angeles’ biggest cultural and sporting projects.