"Mandalorian" actress Gina Carano sues Disney over firing
Actress Gina Carano on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against Lucasfilm and its parent The Walt Disney Co. over her 2021 firing from the series "The Mandalorian."
In the suit filed in federal court in California, Carano alleged she was wrongfully terminated over controversial posts made on X, then known as Twitter. In one post, the actress compared the divided American political climate to Nazi Germany. She was also accused of mocking transgender people and mocking mask-wearing during the COVID pandemic.
"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," Carano said in a Tuesday post on X. "My words were consistently twisted to demonize & dehumanize me as an alt right wing extremist. It was a bullying smear campaign aimed at silencing, destroying & making an example out of me."
Her suit made several references to the "Star Wars" world.
"A short time ago in a galaxy not so far away, Defendants made it clear that only one orthodoxy in thought, speech, or action was acceptable in their empire, and that those who dared to question or failed to fully comply would not be tolerated," the suit alleges. "And so it was with Carano."
According to the suit, Carano's posts were made while she was off-duty and away from the workplace. She alleges she was fired because she "dared voice her own opinions, on social media platforms and elsewhere, and stood up to the online bully mob who demanded her compliance with their extreme progressive ideology"
In August of last year, Elon Musk offered to fund the legal bill of people unfairly treated by their employers "due to posting or liking something" on X. Carano replied, saying she thought she qualified.
The social media company confirmed it is aiding Carano in her suit.
"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," the company wrote.
This is not Musk's first involvement in a dispute with Disney. The company pulled ads on X last year after Musk called an antisemitic post on the social platform "the actual truth." Musk on Tuesday commented on Carano's suit.
"Please let us know if you would like to join the lawsuit against Disney," he said.
Carano is seeking compensatory damages to be determined at trial and a court order that she be recast on the show. She's also seeking punitive damages.
"As for me, I would love to pick up where I left off & continue my journey of creating & participating in story-telling, which is my utmost passion & everything I worked so hard for," she said Tuesday. "It has been difficult to move forward with the lies & labels stuck on me, backed & encouraged by the most powerful entertainment company in the world. I am grateful someone has come to my defense in such a powerful way & look forward to clearing my name."
Disney and Lucasfilm have not yet responded to requests for comment. At the time of her firing, a Lucasfilm spokesperson called Carano's posts "abhorrent and unacceptable."
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Aliza Chasan is a digital producer at 60 Minutes and CBSNews.com. She has previously written for outlets including PIX11 News, The New York Daily News, Inside Edition and DNAinfo. Aliza covers trending news, often focusing on crime and politics.
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