Gina Carano is taking legal action against Disney after her controversial exit from ‘The Mandalorian.’ The actress, who played Cara Dune in the first two seasons, was initially considered for her own spinoff series.
The partnership with Disney and Lucasfilm ended abruptly following Carano’s social media posts, which were widely criticized for being offensive. The actress told The Hollywood Reporter that she learned about her firing through the media, describing her reaction:
“I just laid down and cried and cried. I curled into a fetal position. It’s not that I didn’t think that something like that could happen. It was that I couldn’t imagine they would put out this horrendous statement about me after working with me — the most powerful entertainment company in the world saying that about me.”
She Wants To Be ‘Hirable’ Again
Lucasfilm’s statement announced that Carano would not return for the third season of ‘The Mandalorian’ or any other ‘Star Wars’ projects, citing the ‘abhorrent and unacceptable’ nature of her social media posts as the reason for their decision.
In response, Carano has filed a lawsuit against the two companies with the backing of X owner Elon Musk, alleging discrimination. According to her, getting fired from the franchise affected her career in a bad way while the legal battle gave her a new hope:
“You become unhirable, and then it becomes OK for other people to disrespect you. And then you’re just carrying around this disrespect, and you’re shouldering all this shame, and it affects your physicality, your mentality. You’re just kind of hopeless. So, to be able to fight back — it makes me feel like, ‘OK. That feels good.’”
The Actress Is Seeking Compensation
The lawsuit aims for $75,000 in damages and Carano’s return as Cara Dune. This action comes three years after her series exit and is financially supported by Musk, who has promised to help X users facing discrimination with their legal fees.
Following the lawsuit filing, the actress wrote on X:
“As for me, I would love to pick up where I left off & continue my journey of creating & participating in story-telling, which is my utmost passion & everything I worked so hard for. It has been difficult to move forward with the lies & labels stuck on me, backed & encouraged by the most powerful entertainment company in the world. I am grateful [Elon Musk] has come to my defense in such a powerful way & look forward to clearing my name.”
Additionally, Carano alleges that there was a double standard in how Disney and Lucasfilm treated her compared to her male colleagues, who she claims faced no consequence for similar social media behavior.