Gina Carano’s Disney ‘Mandalorian’ Lawsuit Appears Headed Toward Trial After Judge Denies Dismissal

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As a long-time gamer and follower of Hollywood news, I find the ongoing legal battle between Gina Carano and Disney and Lucasfilm to be a fascinating development. Having grown up watching Star Wars and being an avid fan of The Mandalorian, I was disappointed when Carano was fired from the show last year due to her controversial social media posts.

The legal action initiated by actress Gina Carano against Disney and Lucasfilm looks poised to progress, as a federal judge refused to throw it out.

Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett’s decision is expected to lead to one of two outcomes: the case proceeds to trial, or Disney and Carano reach a settlement agreement.

In early 2022, Carano filed a lawsuit against Disney due to her controversial dismissal from “The Mandalorian” show on Disney+ in the previous year. The reason given by Disney was that her social media content, which allegedly disparaged people based on their cultural and religious backgrounds, was intolerable and unacceptable.

Elon Musk’s company X supports the lawsuit, which claims that Carano was fired because of her conservative political beliefs.

“Carano expressed her admiration for Elon Musk in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter last March, stating, ‘It’s truly amazing what he’s accomplishing.’ Instead of typical billionaire behaviors like buying private islands or constructing hideouts, Musk is investing his resources to tackle significant social issues.”

Disney contended that they have the constitutional right to hire employees who align with their values, despite it going against state anti-discrimination regulations. They referenced the Supreme Court’s decision in Boy Scouts of America v. Dale, where the court upheld the organization’s choice to dismiss an openly gay assistant scoutmaster as protected under the constitution. This constitutional protection, the court ruled, exempts the scouts from being subjected to New Jersey’s discrimination laws.

In the first place, Disney and other defendants aren’t like the Boy Scouts or Jaycees, where you need to be a member to join and it’s a non-profit organization. Instead, they’re for-profit corporations that hire people, including actors like me, as well as administrative staff, to produce TV shows and movies. The judge stated on Wednesday that Disney hasn’t provided any proof, in the complaint or otherwise, to back up their claim that they employ public-facing actors to promote values such as respect, decency, integrity, or inclusion. Consequently, Disney’s argument about my presence as an employee being harmful lacks constitutional significance.

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2024-07-25 18:24