Elon Musk’s social media company X will provide financial support to actress Gina Carano in her lawsuit against Disney.
“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,” Joe Benarroch, the head of business operations for X, said Thursday.
Carano’s character Cara Dune was written off the Disney show “Mandalorian” in February 2021 after the company said she posted conspiracy theories online. After she was fired, the actress alleged that Disney canned her because she expressed conservative political views.
Gina Carano alleged that she was fired over conservative views expressed on X. The complaint makes some interesting comparisons in how liberals have been allowed to make analogous statements in the House of Mouse while conservatives are given the chop… https://t.co/rm1m3dLE0g
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) February 7, 2024
Carano, who was a former Mixed Martial Arts star before becoming an actress, criticized pandemic-era mask mandates and supported claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump.
UTA, her talent agency, also dropped her as a client after Disney dismissed her.
On Tuesday, Carano filed a federal lawsuit against both Disney and Lucasfilm.
In the lawsuit, she claims Disney fired her because she “dared voice her own opinions” against an “online bully mob who demanded her compliance with their extreme progressive ideology.”
Carano also alleges that she was discriminated against due to her sex, as she said that other male stars who voiced their opinions weren’t punished in any way.
According to the lawsuit, Lucasfilm damaged her future prospects of acting work when it made “maliciously false” statements about her.
In addition to airing for three seasons, a feature film for the “Mandalorian” is in the works. Many other interconnected series also are on Disney+, the company’s streaming platform.
On Tuesday, Carano shared on X that the social media company was helping to fund her lawsuit. Musk, who has a longstanding feud with Disney, shared that post, adding the comment that anyone who believed Disney had wronged them should “let us know if you would like to join the lawsuit” against them.
In her suit, Carano is seeking compensatory damages totaling $75,000 as well as punitive and emotional distress damages in an amount that can be determined during trial.
She also wants to force Lucasfilm to reinstate her in the “Mandalorian.”
