Gina Carano played Cara Dune in the first two seasons of The Mandalorian before being fired by Lucasfilm for what were deemed to be a series of "abhorrent" social media posts.
“Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future," said Lucasfilm's statement at the time. "Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable.”
The former MMA fighter's posts had been the source of controversy for quite some time before the studio took action, but inferring that being a Republican today is comparable to being Jewish during the Holocaust was the final straw for Disney.
Now, it's come to light that Carano is suing Disney and Lucasfilm for discrimination and wrongful termination in a lawsuit that is being funded by X owner Elon Musk. The actress alleges she was fired for "voicing right-wing opinions on social media," and is seeking a court order that would force Lucasfilm to recast her.
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.”
It's worth noting that Carano was given the opportunity to retract her statements and delete her posts by Disney, Lucasfilm, and Jon Favreau, so we're not sure how much water this suit will ultimately hold.
“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. “I am honored that my case has been chosen to be supported by the company that has been one of the last glimmers of hope for free speech in the world.”
Carano is accusing Disney and Lucasfilm of harassment and defamation for "refusing to conform with their viewpoints on issues relating to Black Lives Matter, preferred pronouns and disproven claims of election interference." The actress was allegedly fired for her "cultural and religious beliefs," and argues that her male co-stars "made offensive and denigrating posts directed towards Republicans" which Disney turned a blind eye to.
The actress had made claims for wrongful discharge and sex discrimination. She seeks a court order that would force Lucasfilm to recast her and at least $75,000, plus punitive damages.