Former Mandalorian star and MMA fighter Gina Carano told The Hollywood Reporter that she isn’t backing down from her ongoing battle against her former employer, Disney. The actress, ousted from her role in The Mandalorian in 2021 due to controversial social media posts, described the sense of “disrespect” and “shame” she endured post-firing, emphasizing her determination to fight back with a wrongful termination lawsuit.
In a series of further contentious comments, Carano expressed her admiration for Elon Musk, who is financing her legal endeavor, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “I think it’s pretty incredible what he is doing.”
Carano’s and Musk’s paths crossed due to their respective clashes with Disney over controversial posts. While they have never met, both faced repercussions from Disney for their online statements. Musk published posts seen as antisemitic and conspiratorial that wound up costing him advertisers on X, while Carano likened elements of the US political landscape to Nazi Germany. Additionally, Carano has faced criticism for sharing transphobic content, leading to confrontations with LGBTQ+ representatives within Disney, which she dubbed as “re-education camp” sessions.
Striking a lighter tone elsewhere in the interview, Carano reflected on her career trajectory, reminiscing about her introduction to Hollywood through Steven Soderbergh’s Haywire. However, as has been widely publicized, her journey took a tumultuous turn with her role in The Mandalorian, leading to a series of controversies culminating in her termination. Despite feeling unfairly targeted and bullied, Carano remains steadfast as she pursues legal action against Disney.
Carano added that the fallout from her termination has led her to re-evaluate her career and personal life. She now lives in Montana.
During The Walt Disney Co.’s fourth-quarter earnings call with investors in February, CNBC asked CEO Bob Iger what his thoughts were on Musk backing Carano’s suit, and the potential for it to pave the way for further similar legal actions. Iger’s response: “None.”
In 2021, Lucasfilm issued a statement condemning Carano and making it clear “Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future.”
