Gina Carano Sues Disney, Lucasfilm for Mandalorian Firing; Elon Musk to Foot Legal Bill

Gina Carano filed a complaint in California federal court Tuesday alleging that she was fired by Disney and Lucasfilm for voicing right-wing opinions on social media.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Mandalorian vet is seeking a court order that would force Lucasfilm to rehire her and pay her at least $75,000, in addition to punitive damages.

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Her lawsuit will have the financial backing of X owner Elon Musk, who has vowed to foot the bill for all legal expenses accrued by users who claim that they have been discriminated against for what they write on his social media platform.

“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,” X’s head of business operations Joe Benarroch said in a statement.

Lucasfilm severed ties with Carano in February 2021, after the former mixed martial artist drew fire for a spate of polarizing social media posts — including one in which she stated that Jewish people in World War II were not beaten by German soldiers but “by their neighbors.” Though some argued that Carano’s post was not absolving Nazis of wrongdoing, a #FireGinaCarano hashtag started trending, with many asking Lucasfilm and Mandalorian EP Jon Favreau to oust the actress.

Eventually, a Lucasfilm representative said in a statement that Carano “is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future,” adding: “[H]er social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable.”

The suit, obtained by THR, claims not only that Carano was let go for exercising free speech, but that the defendants “took other retaliatory actions to limit and deny her future employment opportunities” and intentionally damaged her reputation.

“Some of us have been unjustly singled out, harassed, persecuted and had our livelihoods stripped away because we dared to encourage conversation, asked questions, and refused to go along with the mob,” Carano said in a statement Tuesday. “I am honored that my case has been chosen to be supported by [X] the company that has been one of the last glimmers of hope for free speech in the world.”

TVLine has reached out to Disney, Lucasfilm and Carano’s rep for comment.

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