Gina Carano, the actress who played Cara Dune in the hit series “The Mandalorian”, has filed a lawsuit against Disney and Lucasfilm, accusing them of discrimination and wrongful termination.
The lawsuit, which was announced on X, is reportedly funded by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk.
Carano claims that she was fired from the show in February 2021 for expressing her conservative views on social media, which allegedly violated the company’s policies and values. She says that she was subjected to a “bullying smear campaign” by her former employers and co-workers, who twisted her words and dehumanized her as an “alt right wing extremist”.
Carano’s controversial posts included comparing the political climate in the US to Nazi Germany, mocking mask-wearing during the pandemic, and questioning the integrity of the 2020 presidential election. She also refused to display her pronouns in her X bio, which some fans interpreted as a sign of transphobia.
Carano’s attorney, Gene Schaerr, said in a statement that Disney “bullied Ms. Carano, trying to force her to conform to their views about cultural and political issues, and when that bullying failed, they fired her.” He added that Carano is seeking a court order that would require Lucasfilm to reinstate her or compensate her at least $75,000. She is also seeking damages for emotional distress and lost income.
Carano expressed her gratitude to Musk and X for supporting her legal battle, saying that she was “being hunted down” for not following the “acceptable narrative of the time”. She denied that her posts were controversial or hateful, and said that she was standing up for her freedom of speech and expression.
Disney and Lucasfilm have not yet responded to the lawsuit, but they previously issued a statement in February 2021, saying that Carano’s social media posts were “abhorrent and unacceptable”, and that she was no longer employed by them. They also said that her character would not be recast for future seasons of “The Mandalorian” or any other Star Wars projects.
