Gina Carano, previously known for her roles as a mixed martial artist and actor, has taken legal action against Disney, alleging unjust termination from The Mandalorian due to her expression of right-wing views on social media platform X.
In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday in California federal court, Gina Carano asserts claims of discrimination and wrongful termination. She seeks a court mandate for Lucasfilm to reinstate her former role and demands punitive damages of at least $75,000.
This has sparked furious responses from Twitter users, condemning Carano for her perceived racist viewpoints and backing Disney’s decision to dismiss her amidst significant backlash.
In a surprising turn of events, entrepreneur Elon Musk, owner of platform X, has pledged financial support for Carano’s cause, asserting that the company aims to uphold freedom of expression and combat discrimination against users for voicing their opinions on the platform.
While this ongoing saga has captured attention for some time, it has evolved into a larger-scale controversy than initially anticipated by fans. Gina Carano’s termination by Lucasfilm stemmed from a tweet in which she purportedly equated being a Republican to being Jewish during the Holocaust, triggering significant online backlash.
Before this tweet, Carano had faced criticism for expressing controversial opinions on social media. Consequently, her dismissal from the series was met with approval from many fans.
Elon Musk’s unexpected support for Gina Carano has added a significant twist to the ongoing saga, catching many by surprise.
Joe Benarroch, X’s head of business operations, commented on the matter, stating, “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.”
Last year, Musk vowed to financially support X users who alleged discrimination by their employers based on their platform activities. Gina Carano portrayed Cara Dune in the initial two seasons of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian.