Disney has dealt a devastating blow in its Mandalorian firing lawsuit against Gina Carano

Disney has suffered a devastating blow in its legal battle with the former company The Mandalorian Star Gina Carano.

The 41-year-old actor is suing the studio along with Lucasfilm for discrimination and wrongful termination after the former MMA fighter was dropped from the Star Wars spin-off in February 2021 for sharing a social media post in which She apparently compared the experience of Republicans in the US to that of Jewish people during the Holocaust.

Carano, with the support of X/Twitter owner Elon Musk, filed a complaint in California federal court, accusing the entertainment companies of damaging her reputation and discriminating against her based on her gender. As part of the lawsuit, Carano questioned why studios didn't give her former co-star Pedro Pascal the same treatment for posting on current affairs.

While Disney attempted to dismiss the lawsuit on the grounds that Carano's decision to “publicly trivialize the Holocaust by comparing criticism of political conservatives to the extermination of millions of Jews was the straw that broke the camel's back,” A judge rejected the studio's appeal and the trial will continue in September 2025.

U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett said, “After considering the parties’ submissions, the relevant law and the record in this case, the court denies the motion.”

Responding to the decision, Carano said: “I am of course very pleased about the opportunity to move forward with the legal process and to move forward with disclosure. Although I wish this were not necessary, as it is not my desire to be on trial in this fight, I will not shy away from it because it is hard or unpleasant.”

The Independent Disney has reached out for further comment.

In a section of the lawsuit titled “Social Media Posts from Carano's Co-Stars,” Carano questioned Disney and Lucasfilm's lack of response to posts shared on X/Twitter by her former co-star Pascal, with whom she previously dated had allegedly reached an agreement with over their opposing beliefs.

The lawsuit states: “Carano respects her co-stars' right to express their views on social media, even if they differ from her own, and she loves each of them personally.” The defendants' treatment of Carano stands however, in stark contrast to the defendant's embrace of her male colleagues and other male employees. Therefore, the following examples are provided to illustrate the discriminatory treatment suffered by Carano at the hands of Defendants.”

Carano's lawyers then cited posts in which Pascal supported Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+ rights, stating: “On June 27, 2020, Pascal posted two Disney-owned Muppet characters, Bert and Ernie, as transgender and LGBTQ+ activists Pride flag waving and for “Black Lives Matter” and “Defund the Police”.

Another post shared in the lawsuit shows Pascal comparing Donald Trump to Hitler.

It said: “To the best of our knowledge and belief, Pascal was not disciplined or required to review documentaries on any of these topics or speak to people with opposing views, nor was he pressured to apologize for any of his contributions. His employment was not terminated and the defendants made no public statements about his social media posts, let alone describing them as “disgusting.”

Carano is seeking a court order that would force Lucasfilm to recast her and at least $75,000 (£57,500) plus punitive damages.