Quibi founder reportedly told newly-unemployed staffers to listen to a song from Trolls to cheer themselves up

Quibi is officially shutting down after just six months, and it sounds like the company went out on a fittingly bizarre note.

On Wednesday, the short-form streaming service announced it's already shutting down after launching in April, and according to The Wall Street Journal, "employees will be laid off and will be paid a severance." But the Journal's report also includes the odd detail that when founder Jeffrey Katzenberg discussed the news on a video call with employees, he apparently "suggested Quibi staffers listen to the song 'Get Back Up Again,' sung by actress Anna Kendrick in the animated film Trolls to buoy their spirits."

After news of the shutdown was announced publicly, Katzenberg and Quibi CEO Meg Whitman penned a letter saying that "our failure" with the company "was not for lack of trying" while offering "a profound apology for disappointing you and, ultimately, for letting you down."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

The Trolls song recommended by Katzenberg includes inspiring lyrics like "if something goes a little wrong, well you can go ahead and bring it on" — although with Quibi's disastrous year, "a little wrong" may be a bit of an understatement.