Gina Carano Defends Herself from Star Wars Firing Backlash

By Russ Milheim Posted:
Gina Carano, The Mandalorian, Star Wars

Gina Carano, the controversy-ridden former star of the Star Wars Disney+ series, The Mandalorian, has spoken out against a contributor of The Hollywood Reporter.

For those who might not remember, the actress is known for having been let go from her role as Cara Dune in the Star Wars universe.

Leading up to her firing, Carano launched a series of Tweets that garnered a lot of attention—for all the wrong reasons. She mocked the idea of wearing a mask during the pandemic (a potentially life-saving habit), suggested that mass voter fraud occurred during the 2020 election (unequivocally false), and shared posts some viewed as transphobic.

To top it all off, the actress posted an antisemitic Instagram story where she compared being a conservative in 2021 to being a Jew during the Holocaust.

This then led to her removal from The Mandalorian—although an older report from The Hollywood Reporter claimed that Disney had been looking to get rid of her for some time.

After it all went down, Carano claimed to have been "bullied" by Walt Disney Studios. Though, she made sure to "[send] out a direct message of hope to everyone living in fear of cancelation" in light of her plights.

Now, after having developed and produced her own movie, she has some more words to share.

Gina Carano Makes Some Noise

Gina Carano, Cara Dune
Star Wars

Gina Carano has shared her thoughts on a specific journalist, who she claimed to have continued to harass her since she was let go from The Mandalorian in 2021.

The press member in question, Richard Newby, a contributor to The Hollywood Reporter, posted to Twitter sharing that he's "never stop laughing" at how badly the actress "fumble[d] the bag:"

I’ll never stop laughing at the fact that she could’ve had her own Star Wars series, toys, books, comics, apparel. She was that close. She didn’t just fumble the bag, she dumped it out, put it over her head and cut off her air supply.

Carano started by claiming that the journalist "repeatedly joins in an online mod of mostly anonymous accounts harassing [her]" while also stating that details of her film's debut, which were what prompted Newby's original tweet, were incorrect:

"Here is a contributor of The Hollywood Reporter who repeatedly joins in an online mob of mostly anonymous accounts harassing me. Are you aware that we released Terror on the Prairie exclusively on the Daily Wire & you didn’t know that? Or are ignorance & spreading hate your only purpose here?"

The actress defended herself further, as she claimed that she "didn't fumble the bag [she] just didn't go along with the sell-out narrative:"

"I didn’t fumble the bag I just didn’t go along with the sell out narrative, the online mob couldn’t handle that so they petitioned to have me fired & won. I’m not sorry for that. I stood for what I believe the right thing to do was & the more time that goes by the better I feel."

Carano concluded her thread by noting how "the genuine bag fumble is sell out journalists:"

"The genuine bag fumble is sell out journalists like you who sold out America and stopped asking questions to be liked by a fickle manipulated mob. That is what you valued, and that will be your legacy."

Gina Carano's Star Wars Legacy

Those who side against Carano's viewpoints and politics may point out the irony of Carano calling out a journalist's tainted legacy when hers involves the spread of dangerous lies, transphobia, and anti-semitic remarks. However, Carano's supporters online have been quick to praise the actress for standing up for herself. 

The cancelation of Rangers of the New Republic, a spin-off set in The Mandalorian timeline that was rumored to center on Carano's Cara Dune, has notably changed the future narrative of the MandoVerse, for better or for worse.

As one door closes, another opens, and there is now a bit more room for Lucasfilm to further explore the intriguing developments of other spin-offs like Ahsoka. Maybe the former show slot could also be used to for another The High Republic Era, such as The Acolyte.

That's not to mention how any story the show was going to try and tell will more than likely get written into future seasons of The Mandalorian or other projects in general.

The Mandalorian's third season is set to debut on March 1, 2023.

- About The Author: Russ Milheim
Russ Milheim is the Industry Relations Coordinator at The Direct. On top of utilizing his expertise on the many corners of today’s entertainment to cover the latest news and theories, he establishes and maintains communication and relations between the outlet and the many studio and talent representatives.