Gina Carano alleges free speech violations in new lawsuit against Lucasfilm and Disney

A former cast member of “The Mandalorian” filed a free speech lawsuit against Lucasfilm and Disney on Tuesday, two years after she was dropped from the show over controversial social media posts.

Gina Carano, who portrayed Cara Dune on the series, sparked outrage among fans before her firing by liking posts that were critical of the Black Lives Matter movement, questioning the validity of the 2020 election results and appearing to compare being a Republican in the 21st century to being Jewish during the Holocaust, according to The Washington Post.

In the new lawsuit, Carano argues that the posts were a form of protected speech and that Lucasfilm and Disney unlawfully punished her for promoting right-wing beliefs.

“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 lawsuit says, according to The Associated Press. “Carano was terminated from her role as swiftly as her character’s peaceful home planet of Alderaan had been destroyed by the Death Star.”

The actor is seeking monetary damages, as well as a court order that would require Lucasfilm and Disney to recast her on “The Mandalorian,” The Associated Press reported.

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• Elon Musk toured Auschwitz amid a debate over antisemitism on X

• ‘The Mandalorian’ actress Gina Carano was also dropped from her agency

Carano’s lawsuit is funded by Elon Musk and his social media company, X, which was formerly called Twitter. Musk has repeatedly criticized Disney in recent months after Disney pulled advertising from X in mid-November, per The New York Times.

On Tuesday, the tech titan encouraged others in need of legal support to reach out to him.

“If you were discriminated against by Disney or its subsidiaries (ABC, ESPN, Marvel, etc), just reply to this post to receive legal support,” Musk wrote on X.

Leaders from Disney and Lucasfilm have not yet filed a response to Carano’s lawsuit in court or responded to requests for comment from The Associated Press.

When Carano was fired, Lucasfilm issued a statement criticizing her social media activity.

“Her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable,” the statement said, per The Associated Press.