Three years after the relationship between Gina Carano and her employers at Disney turned sour, the actress is now taking legal action.
It has been reported that Carano is now suing Disney and Lucasfilm over her controversial firing from The Mandalorian - and it seems as though she has the backing of some powerful figures to aid her through the process.
The 41-year-old, best known for playing Cara Dune in the Star Wars series, has paired up with Elon Musk to prove that she was unfairly targeted for her Republican opinions which she made clear back in a series of controversial posts in 2021.
Carano made comments about the political climate at the time, comparing it to that of Nazi Germany. Not only that, but the actress was also receiving backlash for divisive comments she'd made about the 2020 election, gender pronouns, and mask mandates during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Gina Carano is now taking legal action against Lucasfilm and Disney. Credit: Stephen Lovekin/GettyTaking to her Instagram in February 2021, Carano's shared post read: "Jews here beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors... even by children. Because history is edited, most people 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.
"How is that any different from hating someone for their political views?", it added.
Following intense backlash for the posts, Carano later deleted them and replaced them with a not-so-subtle quote that read: "Expecting everyone you encounter to agree with every belief you hold is f****** wild."
Immediately after, the hashtag #FireGinaCarano started trending online, with many calling on the creators at Lucasfilm to get rid of the actress for promoting "anti-Semitism" as well as "alt-right conspiracy theories."
Gina Carano was fired for her controversial social media posts back in 2021. Credit: Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage/GettyA spokesperson from the production company followed up the controversy with a statement explaining that Carano was no longer employed by the business.
"Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future. Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable," they said, as per Deadline.
Later on, it was detailed that the company had given Carano a chance to redeem herself - all she had to do was meet with a representative from the LGBTQ+ group Glaad and was then asked to meet with a group of LGBTQ+ Disney employees, both of which she refused.
Gina Carano starred alongside Pedro Pascal and Carl Weathers in The Mandalorian. Credit: Chelsea Lauren/Variety/Penske Media/GettySince then, the 41-year-old has been constantly defending herself online against her release and has now decided to take legal action against both Disney and Lucasfilm.
As per the Guardian, Carano claims she was "harassed and defamed" for having right-wing opinions and refusing to conform to those held by Disney and Lucasfilm. She also alleged that her male counterparts were never reprimanded for their "derogatory statements" about Republicans.
The suit also refers to Disney and Lucasfilm as using "bullying, discriminatory, and retaliatory actions."
Carano is claiming wrongful discharge and sexual discrimination, seeking $75,000 in damages and a court order that would reinstate her on the hit series.
Taking to X, the actress thanked Musk, who is providing financial aid to Carano after the billionaire pledged to help those who have been wronged due to their views.
"I am grateful someone has come to my defense in such a powerful way & look forward to clearing my name," she added in the statement.
In a statement, X's head of business operations, Joe Benarroch, said: "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."
