Gina Carano timeline | What led to “The Mandalorian” actress Gina Carano being fired as she sues Disney?

Actress Gina Carano has initiated legal action against Disney and Lucasfilm, alleging wrongful termination and discrimination. The move follows her dismissal in February 2021 over contentious political statements made on social media, including a controversial post likening the treatment of Republicans in the United States to Jews during the Holocaust. 

In response to the ensuing backlash, Lucasfilm issued a statement deeming Carano's remarks "abhorrent and unacceptable," leading to her termination from the hit series "The Mandalorian," in which she portrayed the character Cara Dune.

Carano's lawsuit, backed by Elon Musk's social media platform X Corp, seeks at least $75,000 in compensatory damages and asserts that she was subjected to targeted harassment and public humiliation by Disney and Lucasfilm. The legal documents claim that Carano was unfairly singled out and treated differently from her male counterparts. 

Lawyer Gene Schaerr of Schaerr Jaffe, representing Carano, stated, "Disney bullied Ms. Carano, trying to force her to conform to their views about cultural and political issues, and when that bullying failed, they fired her." Schaerr emphasized that punishing employees for their political or social speech violates California law.

In her own words, Carano expressed gratitude for the support she received, particularly from Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who reached out to her on X Corp. She highlighted the importance of defending free speech rights and stated, "Some of us have been unjustly singled out, harassed, persecuted and had our livelihoods stripped away because we dared to encourage conversation, asked questions, and refused to go along with the mob." 

But how did we end up at this point, and just what were her comments on social media before her Holocaust comparisons that led her to be dropped by not only Lucasfilm but her talent agency also? NationalWorld has put together a timeline of the tweets and events that have brought us to this legal battle between Carano and Disney.

Gina Carano's “The Mandalorian” controversy timeline

November 2020 - COVID-19 tweets 

Gina Carano faced criticism for various social media posts, including some that drew controversy due to their political and social commentary. While specific tweets/posts from this period aren't included in this timeline, Carano had previously shared opinions on topics such as COVID-19 pandemic measures, mask-wearing, and voter fraud allegations following the 2020 U.S. presidential election. These posts garnered mixed reactions from the public and fueled debates about free speech and the responsibilities of public figures.

February 10, 2021 - comparison between Republicans and Jews during WWII

Carano shared a post on her Instagram account comparing the treatment of Republicans in the United States to Jews during the Holocaust. The post includes an image with text that reads:

"Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbours...even by children. Because history is edited, most people today don’t realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbours hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views?"

This post sparked immediate outrage and condemnation from many social media users and advocacy groups, who accused Carano of trivializing the Holocaust and spreading false equivalences. The post also led to the trending hashtag #FireGinaCarano on Twitter, with thousands of users calling for Disney to take action.

February 10, 2021 - #FireGinaCarano trends on social media

The hashtag #FireGinaCarano trends on social media platforms as many users call for Disney to take action against Carano for her controversial post. The hashtag gained traction as people expressed their outrage over Carano's comments and urged Disney to hold her accountable.

February 10, 2021 - Carano dropped from “The Mandalorian” and Lucasfilm

Lucasfilm released a statement announcing that Gina Carano would no longer be employed by them, citing her social media posts as "abhorrent and unacceptable." The statement emphasized that Carano's views did not reflect the values of the company and its commitment to diversity and inclusion. This decision effectively terminated Carano's role as Cara Dune in "The Mandalorian" and any future projects with Lucasfilm.

February 11, 2021 - Carano dropped by her talent agency

Carano's talent agency, UTA (United Talent Agency), dropped her as a client following the controversy surrounding her social media posts. The agency's decision to sever ties with Carano further impacted her professional opportunities within the entertainment industry, leaving her without representation.

February 11, 2021 - Carano responds to her firing during Ben Shapiro interview

Gina Carano responds to her firing in an interview with conservative commentator Ben Shapiro. During the interview, she discusses her perspective on the controversy, claiming that she was being targeted for her political beliefs and expressing feelings of being marginalized within the industry. Carano's interview with Shapiro garnered attention from both supporters and critics, fueling ongoing debates about free speech, cancel culture, and political polarization.

February 20, 2021  - Carano announces next moves after “The Mandalorian”

Carano announces that she will be producing and starring in a film project with Shapiro's media company, The Daily Wire, following her dismissal from "The Mandalorian." The announcement marked Carano's next career move after she departed from Lucasfilm, signalling her collaboration with a conservative media platform and her continued involvement in the entertainment industry despite the controversy.

February 7 2024 - Carano announces she is suing Disney with Elon Musk’s support

This is where we are now - after some failed projects and some Daily Wire exclusives, Carano announced that she would be suing Disney for unfair dismissal and that Elon Musk would be supporting her case. Musk has previously stated that he would support anyone who suffered employment discrimination because of what they posted on Twitter - with part of the deal she’s looking for inclusion back into “The Mandalorian.”

Could Gina Carano win her case?

It will be an interesting one to follow that could hinge on two aspects: the first of course being Carano’s freedom of speech. Carano could prove to judges that aside from her political views she was a model actress on the show and that her political beliefs should not have had an impact on her job - with her legal counsel again citing the comments made previously by Pedro Pascal.

However, on Disney’s side of things, the family-friendly company might have included a “morality clause” in her contract: a morality clause stipulates certain standards of behaviour or conduct that the individual must adhere to while under contract. These clauses typically outline specifically prohibited behaviours, such as engaging in illegal activities, scandalous behaviour or actions that could bring negative publicity or damage the reputation of the contracting party.

If the individual violates the terms of the morality clause, the contracting party may have the right to terminate the contract or take other disciplinary actions, such as imposing fines, withholding payments, or pursuing legal remedies.