Disney settles the Elon Musk-funded Gina Carano lawsuit

Actor Gina Caro has settled her lawsuit against Disney and Lucasfilm after she was fired from the franchise’s spin-off, “The Mandalorian.”

Terms of the agreement were not made public.

Carano, who played Cara Dune in the Disney+ series, was fired in 2021 after she made comments comparing being a Republican in the US to being a Jew during the Holocaust. Lucasfilm condemned her comments in 2021 for “denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities”.

In February 2024, the former mixed-martial arts fighter filed a lawsuit against Disney and Lucasfilm in California, alleging harassment and bullying as a result of sharing her conservative political beliefs on X and other social media.

Attorneys for Carano said Disney wrongfully terminated her and defamed her by mischaracterizing her questions and comments on “various issues of the day, including such issues as Black Lives Matter, Covid lockdowns, election irregularities, and transgender pronouns.”

Lawyers for the actor said that Elon Musk’s X was funding Carano’s lawsuit against the companies.

In the lawsuit, the actor said she was wrongfully terminated and subject to sexual discrimination. She said that two of her male costars made similar social media posts and faced no penalty. She had sought $75,000 in damages and to be recast in the Star Wars series.

On Thursday, Carano shared the news of the settlement on X. She wrote: “I hope this brings some healing to the force.”

“I want to extend my deepest most heartfelt gratitude to Elon Musk, @elonmusk a man I’ve never met, who did this Good Samaritan deed for me in funding my lawsuit. Thank you Mr. Musk and @X for backing my case and asking for nothing in return,” she added.

Disney, Lucasfilm, and representatives for Carano did not respond to requests for comment.

In a statement to Variety, a Lucasfilm representative said: “Ms. 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. With this lawsuit concluded, we look forward to identifying opportunities to work together with Ms. Carano in the near future.”