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Gina Carano once had a respected acting career, achieving a decent level of recognition for her occasional appearances in The Mandalorian. Her role was well-received by fans and it appeared that Disney was eager to give her character a spin-off, as they have done with many Star Wars characters. However, things took a turn when she began posting on social media.

Carano started sharing her thoughts on Twitter (now X) promoting Covid denial, expressing doubt about the 2020 election outcome, and making offensive comparisons between Republicans and Jews in Nazi Germany. The response was swift and vocal: her role in The Mandalorian was removed in 2021, and Lucasfilm condemned her tweets as “hateful and not tolerated.” She was subsequently released by her talent representation.

Recently, she has once again become a topic of discussion for taking legal action against Disney and Lucasfilm for being fired unfairly and facing sexual discrimination. If she is successful, she will be awarded $75,000 (£59,000) and a court order to be reinstated on The Mandalorian. It is assumed that after this, the situation will be resolved and there will be no lingering tension.

It is likely that Hollywood will closely monitor Carano’s lawsuit, as she is not the only actor to have been removed from a project due to their beliefs. For actor Miloš Biković, his recent role in the third season of The White Lotus should have been a time of great joy. However, he was publicly let go last weekend after being accused by Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs of supporting the Russian invasion. The ministry released a video, shared on X, directed towards HBO, detailing Biković’s history of filming in annexed Crimea, allegedly defending Russia’s actions in Ukraine, and obtaining Russian citizenship from Vladimir Putin. Biković referred to his firing as a “concerning precedent”.

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Sara Ramírez, who recently departed from the Sex and the City spin-off, And Just Like That, adds another layer of complexity to the situation. On January 16th, Ramirez shared a post on Instagram alleging that individuals in the entertainment industry are creating blacklists for actors and workers who express support for Palestinians and Gaza, suggesting that this may have played a role in her departure due to her vocal pro-Palestinian stance.

Sources close to the show have raised doubts about this, as reported by DailyMail.com. They pointed out that Ramírez’s character, Che Diaz, was often described as extremely bothersome and viewers may actually be relieved if the character was discreetly written out of the show.

However, it should be noted that Ramírez’s assertions have been made before. In a similar situation, actress Susan Sarandon was released from her agency after participating in a pro-Palestinian demonstration in New York last year. In addition, Melissa Barrera, known for her role in Scream, was let go by the production company of the franchise after making social media posts equating Gaza to a “concentration camp”.

The trend of firing celebrities for their personal opinions is gaining momentum. While there is a clear distinction between supporting victims of violence and making extreme comparisons, the entertainment industry is quick to get rid of anyone who might stir up controversy. While it is understandable that executives are caught between keeping their shows running smoothly and facing backlash on social media, this eagerness to fire can backfire. In some cases, these firings only elevate the fired individuals to martyr status – in fact, Carano has become even more vocal since her firing, using social media to criticize Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy and claim she was silenced by a “totalitarian mob.” These firings also fuel the belief that the television industry operates as a unified entity, rejecting anyone who does not conform to their beliefs.

The result of Carano’s legal case will be intriguing, especially since others may also consider filing lawsuits if she wins. If the judge determines that her termination was unjust due to her beliefs, it is possible that others like Ramirez, Biković, Sarandon, Barrera, Johnston, and others with limited contracts may follow suit and take legal action. They may even request to be reinstated on their respective shows. The idea of being able to work with colleagues who have previously publicly rejected them is likely a dream come true.

Source: theguardian.com