American actress Gina Joy Carano has taken legal action against Lucasfilm and its parent company, The Walt Disney Company. Carano filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, alleging wrongful termination from her role in the popular Disney+ series “The Mandalorian” in 2021. She contends that she was dismissed due to expressing right-wing views on social media. Notably, Carano sparked controversy in 2020 when she equated being a Republican to being a Jew during the Holocaust, resulting in her termination.
The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in California, asserts that Carano’s character, Cara Dune, was written off from the “Star Wars” universe series after two seasons because of her comparison of the treatment of American conservatives to that of Jews in Nazi Germany. Carano is seeking either reinstatement or compensation of at least $75,000 from Lucasfilm. The lawsuit portrays the defendants as enforcing a single orthodoxy of thought, speech, and action, and alleges that those who deviate or question it are not tolerated, as evidenced by Carano’s dismissal.
Elon Musk, the owner of X, is backing Carano’s legal battle, providing funding to support her case against the infringement of her free speech rights. Carano reportedly experienced workplace bullying, harassment, and discrimination. Musk’s support stems from his previous offer to provide legal representation to individuals who have been terminated from their jobs for exercising free speech rights on his platform, X. Carano expressed her appreciation to Musk, stating,
“I would like to express my deepest gratitude & thank you to @ElonMusk & @X for giving me an opportunity to bring my case to light. I am grateful someone has come to my defense in such a powerful way & look forward to clearing my name.”
Despite Carano’s bold move, Disney and Lucasfilm have refrained from making any public comments or statements regarding the matter.