What is the status of Gina Carano's lawsuit against Disney? Rachel Zegler fiasco brings fight back into focus
Disney has been delivering magic via its enchanting stories for decades, but things are quite the opposite behind the curtains. Controversies continue to loom three years after the disputed firing of Gina Carano from 'The Mandalorian'. Disney faced a big blow in October 2024 when it lost its latest attempt to stall the trial in Carano's case. The sex discrimination case will now go before the jury on September 29, 2025.
Carano's lawsuit against Disney continues to gain attention, thanks to outrage over the company’s handling of another star, Rachel Zegler. As accusations of double standards swirl, it begs the question: Is Disney’s moral compass swayed by convenience?
Why did Gina Carano sue Disney?
Gina Carano, a former MMA fighter turned actress, was fired from 'The Mandalorian' in February 2021 after she made a series of controversial social media posts. The one that sealed her fate was when she compared the treatment of Republicans in modern America to the persecution of Jews during the Holocaust. She posted on her social media, “Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors…. even by children.”
She continued to add, “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 neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views?”
Disney and Lucasfilm reportedly deemed her comments, “abhorrent and unacceptable,” ending her role as Cara Dune, as per Deadline.
The aftermath of Gina Carano's firing
Carano's firing was followed by immediate backlash from her defenders who accused Disney of silencing conservative voices. Meanwhile, critics countered that her post trivialized historical atrocities. Even Carano didn't sit quietly. She filed a lawsuit against Disney and Lucasfilm, accusing them of wrongful termination, gender discrimination, and defamation. Her lawsuit was funded by none other than Elon Musk. Carano's legal team asserted that she was targeted for her political beliefs while others received more lenient treatment for similarly polarizing behavior.
Rachel Zegler's political remarks spark debate
Three years after Carano's firing, 'The West Side Story' star Rachel Zegler has been making headlines for her political comments. She criticized Donald Trump’s re-election campaign in fiery social media posts that sparked backlash from conservative pundits. She wrote in her Instagram stories, “It is terrifying the number of people who stand behind what this man preaches. It is a foolish subscription to a false sense of security, of masculinity, of intelligence, of patriotism, and of humanity. there is no help, no counsel, in any of them. I could go on. I won’t. I feel sad. You probably do, too. F**k this,” as per Variety.
The debate around Zegler's political comments has reminded people of Carano's case. Critics, including Megyn Kelly, called for her removal from the upcoming live-action 'Snow White', as per Vanity Fair. Former Fox and NBC news host called out Zegler while also pointing out the hypocrisy of Disney. “Hello, Disney, you’re going to have to redo your film again, because this woman is a pig, and you fired Gina Carano for far less than this nonsense," she said on the 'Ruthless' podcast.
The Zegler and Carano controversies go beyond corporate PR. It taps into larger debates about free speech, cancel culture, and whether corporations should serve as arbiters of morality. With Carano’s lawsuit and Zegler's comments, the company seems to be walking a tightrope.