Elon Musk Agrees to Fund Lawsuit Filed by Gina Carano Against Disney
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has once again taken a swipe at the Walt Disney Company by agreeing to fund a wrongful-termination lawsuit filed by former “Mandalorian” actress Gina Carano. Disney dropped Carano from the hit series in 2021 after she made controversial social media posts, some of which were seen as homophobic and antisemitic. In response, Musk, who has been at odds with Disney and its chief executive, Robert A. Iger, following a halt in advertising spending on his platform X, offered to fund Carano’s lawsuit. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in California, seeks to have Carano’s character reinstated in the show and to recast her for the part. Carano is also seeking punitive damages.
Musk’s ongoing feud with Disney escalated when major advertisers, including Disney and Apple, paused spending on X after Musk endorsed an antisemitic conspiracy theory. Musk publicly attacked Iger, calling the halt in advertising “blackmail” and demanding that Iger be fired. More recently, Musk has endorsed activist investor Nelson Peltz, who is waging a proxy battle to gain seats on the Disney board.
Disney has vigorously defended its board and Iger’s track record, with Iger making moves to cut costs, improve movie quality, and boost growth at Disney parks since returning to the company in 2022. In response to Musk’s financial support of Carano’s lawsuit, X’s head of business operations, Joe Benarroch, stated that the company is “proud to provide financial support for Gina Carano’s lawsuit, empowering her to seek vindication of her free speech rights on X and the ability to work without bullying, harassment or discrimination.”
Opinion: This ongoing feud between Elon Musk and Disney has continued to escalate, with Musk’s financial support of Carano’s lawsuit being the latest move in a series of public displays of discord. While some may see Musk’s actions as supporting free speech and standing up against cancel culture, others may view it as an attempt to stir up controversy and further damage Disney’s reputation. Ultimately, the outcome of the lawsuit and the impact it will have on the relationship between Musk and Disney remains to be seen.