Actor Gina Carano has filed a lawsuit against Walt Disney for wrongful termination from the Star Wars series “The Mandalorian,” with billionaire Elon Musk backing her legal action. The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in federal court in California, alleges that Carano was fired in 2021 for expressing conservative opinions on social media platforms, including Twitter (now known as X and owned by Musk).
In her lawsuit, Carano claims that Disney enforced a single orthodoxy of thought, speech, or action and discriminated against her based on her sex. She argues that male stars who voiced similar opinions did not face any consequences. Carano, who portrayed the character Cara Dune, is seeking reinstatement in her role and compensatory damages of up to $75,000, along with emotional distress and punitive damages to be determined at trial.
A Disney spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment regarding the lawsuit. Elon Musk, who previously clashed with Disney CEO Bob Iger, has pledged financial support for Carano’s legal action as part of his commitment to free speech on the X platform.
Carano’s termination from “The Mandalorian” came after she made social media posts deemed “abhorrent and unacceptable” by Disney, including remarks denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities. She also faced criticism for posts on Twitter, where she disparaged mask-wearing during the pandemic and promoted false claims of voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election.
Musk himself faced backlash for liking an anti-Jewish post on X in September, leading to advertisers like Disney pausing spending on the platform. Despite this, Musk has remained committed to supporting individuals facing retaliation from employers for their comments on social media platforms.