Gina Carano Files Lawsuit Against Disney for ‘Mandalorian’ Firing, Funded by Elon Musk
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Gina Carano, the actress dismissed from The Mandalorian due to “social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities,” has filed a lawsuit against Lucasfilm, alleging discrimination and wrongful termination. Notably, the controversial remarks were posted on X, previously known as Twitter, and Elon Musk is reportedly financing the legal action.
In a statement per THR, X’s head of business operations, Joe Benarroch, stated, “As a sign of X Corp’s commitment to free speech, we’re proud to provide financial support for Gina Carano’s lawsuit, empowering her to seek vindication of her free speech rights on X and the ability to work without bullying, harassment, or discrimination.”
In 2021, Lucasfilm announced Carano would not return to the series after she shared a post comparing being a Republican to being Jewish during the Holocaust. This followed a series of controversial posts where she expressed right-wing views on various topics. Carano faced backlash for mocking mask mandates during the pandemic and spreading false claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election.
According to the complaint, Disney and Lucasfilm allegedly harassed and defamed Carano for not aligning with their views on topics like Black Lives Matter, preferred pronouns, and disputed claims of election interference. Carano claims she was terminated due to her cultural and religious beliefs, highlighting alleged double standards by pointing to offensive posts by her male costars, including Pedro Pascal‘s 2017 post comparing Donald Trump to Hitler.
The lawsuit alleges that Disney mandated Carano, who was paid $25,000 per episode as a guest actor and received a $5,000 bonus, to meet with representatives of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and issue a public apology. Carano refused and was subsequently instructed to meet with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and 45 LGBTQ+ identifying employees. She declined, leading to her termination from The Mandalorian and other Star Wars projects, including Rangers of the New Republic.
“I am honored that my case has been chosen to be supported by the company that has been one of the last glimmers of hope for free speech in the world,” Carano said of Musk’s funding of the lawsuit.
Check out the lawsuit in full below.
