Disney and Donald Trump-supporting ‘Star Wars' actor Gina Carano settle legal feud
Disney has expressed hope for potential future collaborations with Carano, despite their earlier disputes over her political views.
The lawsuit, backed by Elon Musk, sparked discussions on free speech, cancel culture, and the entertainment industry's role in cultural debates.
A 'Star Wars' actor who sued Disney for firing her over inflammatory social media posts about the Holocaust, the pandemic and trans rights has reached a settlement with the Hollywood studio, the entertainment giant announced Thursday.
Gina Carano, a prominent Donald Trump supporter who had a major role in the hit Disney+ series 'The Mandalorian' until 2021, claimed wrongful termination in a lawsuit filed last year with the backing of billionaire Elon Musk.
On Thursday, a spokesperson for Disney subsidiary Lucasfilm said the companies had 'reached an agreement with Gina Carano to resolve the issues in her pending lawsuit.'
Disney 'looks forward to identifying opportunities to work together with Ms Carano in the near future,' according to a statement sent to AFP.
Carano, an outspoken former martial arts fighter-turned-actor, was fired by Disney in 2021 for what the company at the time dubbed 'abhorrent and unacceptable' social media posts 'denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities.'
One post shared by Carano appeared to compare being a conservative in the United States to being Jewish in Nazi Germany.
'Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews' because 'the government first made their own neighbours hate them simply for being Jews,' the post said.
'How is that any different from hating someone for their political views?' it concluded, with a graphic photo of a Jewish woman being beaten in Nazi Germany.
Another post appeared to mock a person for wearing multiple masks during the Covid-19 pandemic in California.
Carano had earlier enraged members of the trans community for writing on her X profile that her preferred pronouns were 'boop/bop/beep.'
'The truth shall set you free'
In her initial lawsuit, Carano said Disney had damaged her reputation and ability to find work in the future, after she had expressed personal political views that led to her being hounded by an 'extreme progressive' online mob.
The California lawsuit was funded by Musk's X, after Carano publicly replied to an open offer from the tech billionaire to help anyone fired after using his social media platform to exercise free speech.
Carano previously claimed she lost a role on a planned 'Mandalorian' spin-off called 'Rangers of the New Republic' that would have been worth '$150 000 to $250 000 per episode.'
The Lucasfilm statement said Carano 'was always well respected by her directors, co-stars, and staff, and she worked hard to perfect her craft while treating her colleagues with kindness and respect.'
Carano also supported Donald Trump's recent election campaign, speaking at a campaign rally in Las Vegas last year.
Disney has become embroiled in the United States' so-called 'culture wars' in recent years.
In March, US regulators under the Trump administration announced an investigation into diversity efforts at the Walt Disney Company.
Neither Disney nor Carano disclosed the terms of the agreement, but she appeared to allude to the lawsuit's settlement on her social media.
'...and the truth shall set you free,' Carano posted Thursday on X.
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