Actress and former martial artist Gina Carano announced this week that she has filed a lawsuit against the Walt Disney Corporation and Lucasfilm. Carano claims she has been defamed and falsely accused of bigotry and intolerance by the companies.
X owner Elon Musk has endorsed the lawsuit and is encouraging others to join.
For two seasons, Gina Carano starred as former rebel soldier Cara Dune in the streaming series and Star Wars spin-off The Mandalorian.
But in February 2021, Lucasfilm and Disney announced her firing, accusing Carano of “social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural & religious identities” and calling them “abhorrent & unacceptable”.
Not only was Gina Carano fired from The Mandalorian, but plans for the rumored spin-off series Rangers of the New Republic (starring Cara Dune) were also shelved.
In an effort to help and support his cause, X owner Elon Musk, who has previously said that he would cover any legal costs for “anyone who feels they have been discriminated against because of their activity on X”, has said that he will help Gina Carano with her lawsuit.
In a post on X, Carano writes that she contacted Elon Musk after reading his request for financial and legal support. After several months of discussions with attorneys, they agreed to proceed with her lawsuit.
Today is an important day for me–I am filing a lawsuit against @lucasfilm & @Disney
After my 20 years of building a career from scratch, and during the regime of former Disney CEO Bob Chapek, Lucasfilm made this statement on Twitter, terminating me from The Mandalorian: “Gina…— Gina Carano 🕯 (@ginacarano) February 6, 2024
“Demonized and dehumanized”
Gina Carano urged people to look at the social media posts that Disney and Lucasfilm have condemned and released the following statement.
– The truth is I was being hunted down from everything I posted to every post I liked because I was not in line with the acceptable narrative of the time. My words were consistently twisted to demonize and dehumanize me. [This is] a bullying smear campaign aimed at silencing, destroying and making an example out of me.
While Carano was immediately signed to a movie role by conservative producer and political commentator Ben Shapiro, she says it has been difficult to work in the industry “with the lies and labels stuck on me, backed and encouraged by the most powerful entertainment company in the world”.
However, she stressed that she is not aware of any ill will on the part of any of her colleagues.
– Artists do not sign away our rights as American citizens when we enter into employment. I have spoken to all my co-stars since I was fired & there is nothing but care and kind words between us. I respect their right to free speech and do not have to think the same on every issue to be their friends and work with them and I know they feel the same towards me.
