Gina Carano has filed proceedings against The Mandalorian series makers, Disney and LucasFilm, for wrongful termination and discrimination after claiming she was dropped from the show for expressing her "personal political opinions".
The complaint, filed at the Californian District Court, is being financially supported by X Corp, the Elon Musk-owned social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
Carano, a Critics Choice Award nominee for Best Actress in Haywire, began her career as a mixed martial arts fighter.
The actress starred in two series of The Mandalorian as Rebel ranger Cara Dune before she was "fired" in February 2021 over political opinions she expressed on social media, the lawsuit said.
At the time, LucasFilm released a statement suggesting Carano's "social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable".
The court documents filed suggest Disney and LucasFilm, "targeted, harassed, publicly humiliated, defamed, and went to great lengths to destroy Carano's career".
Lawyer Gene Schaerr, managing partner at Schaerr Jaffe, said: "Disney bullied Ms Carano, trying to force her to conform to their views about cultural and political issues, and when that bullying failed, they fired her.
"Punishing employees for their speech on political or social issues is illegal under California law."
Carano said: "We rely on our leaders and people in positions of power to be just, cool-headed and steady-handed and to be able to listen to all sides of the story, keep the peace and act justly.
"Some of us have been unjustly singled out, harassed, persecuted and had our livelihoods stripped away because we dared to encourage conversation, asked questions, and refused to go along with the mob."
Carano also said she was "honoured" that Tesla chief executive Mr Musk chose to support her lawsuit.
"As a sign of X Corp’s commitment to free speech, the online platform is proud to provide financial support for 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," a statement from the company said.
A representative for Disney and LucasFilm has been contacted for comment.
Source: PA
