Elon Musk's part in the lawsuit by Gina Carano against the creators of The Mandalorian series
In a significant turn of events, actress Gina Carano's lawsuit against Lucasfilm and The Walt Disney Company, stemming from her dismissal from The Mandalorian in 2021, has been settled. The lawsuit, which was filed in a federal court in California last year, claimed that Carano was wrongfully terminated from the Star Wars galaxy Disney+ series after two seasons, due to her political views.
Carano was let go from the show following a series of controversial social media posts, where she expressed extreme right-wing sentiments. One of her posts compared Republicans to Jews in Nazi Germany, which drew widespread criticism and led to a trending #FireGinaCarano hashtag. Lucasfilm initially called Carano's posts "abhorrent and unacceptable" for denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, provided financial support for Carano's lawsuit against the companies. Carano expressed gratitude towards Musk for funding her lawsuit without asking for anything in return. However, in her recent statement, Carano did not mention any financial support from Musk.
Despite the controversy, Lucasfilm later stated that Carano was always well respected by her directors, co-stars, and staff, and she treated her colleagues with kindness and respect. The statement indicates a potential future collaboration between Carano and the company. Disney publicly stated that Carano was "always well respected" by colleagues and expressed an intention to seek opportunities to work with her again in the future.
In her statement, Carano expressed excitement about moving onto the next chapter of her career and invited her supporters to join her. She also announced her plans to focus on the arts. Carano alleged that she was fired for "daring to voice her own opinions" against an "online bully mob who demanded her compliance with their extreme progressive ideology."
The lawsuit concluded in August 2025 with a settlement agreement between Carano and the companies. The details of the settlement are not disclosed. This settlement marks the end of a contentious legal battle and opens the door for potential future collaborations between Gina Carano and Lucasfilm and The Walt Disney Company.
The settlement between Gina Carano and Lucasfilm/The Walt Disney Company, sparked from her dismissal related to her political beliefs, highlights the intersection of entertainment and polarizing pop-culture sentiments. Carano's legal dispute, backed by celebrities like Elon Musk, underscores the impact of controversial expressions in social media, shaping the career trajectory of entertainers.
