Disney, Lucasfilm sued by Gina Carano over 'The Mandalorian' firing
Gina Carano, who portrayed Cara Dune in the first two seasons of The Mandalorian, is suing Disney and Lucasfilm for her wrongful termination and discrimination. The lawsuit, filed in a California federal court, claims Carano was fired for expressing right-wing opinions on social media and demands at least $75,000 in punitive damages and her role to be reinstated. Elon Musk, through his venture X Corp., has come forward to help Carano in the lawsuit. Here's all about it.
Why does this story matter?
Carano was let go from Disney+'s The Mandalorian in 2021 after sharing an Instagram Story that likened being a Republican to being Jewish during the Holocaust. The post asked, "How is that any different from hating someone for their political views?" Lucasfilm and UTA, Carano's agency at the time, dropped her on the same day. However, UTA is not a defendant in the suit, instead, Disney is blamed for her agency dropping her.
She was allegedly dismissed over a controversial social media post
The ex-MMA fighter came under fire after she shared this post on Instagram. "Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors...even by children." "Because history is edited, most people today don't realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews," read the post. Netizens started demanding her removal once this post went viral.
Carano alleged discrimination and double standards
The lawsuit accuses Disney and Lucasfilm of only tolerating one way of thinking, speaking, or acting. Carano cited social media posts from Star Wars actors Pedro Pascal and Mark Hamill, who compared President Donald Trump and his supporters to Adolf Hitler and Nazis, as proof of discrimination in the lawsuit. She claimed Disney ignored male co-stars' political statements without any consequences. In a long tweet written to announce her decision to sue, she made similar claims.
She also claimed harassment and defamation
The complaint further alleged that Disney and Lucasfilm harassed and defamed Carano for not agreeing with their views on issues like Black Lives Matter, preferred pronouns, and debunked claims of election interference. Carano said she was asked to meet with representatives from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and give a public apology. After refusing, she was apparently fired from The Mandalorian and other Star Wars projects, including Rangers of the New Republic.
But why is Musk funding her?
Musk is financially supporting Carano's lawsuit as part of X's dedication to free speech. X's business operation head Joe Benarroch, stated, "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." Last year, Musk pledged to fund legal action for users on X who claim they have faced discrimination by their employers over their activity on the platform.
