It’s hard to believe that it’s already been almost a year and a half since Disney parted ways with actress Gina Carano. If you recall, the House of Mouse opted to terminate the relationship with the former MMA fighter. It did so after she made some salacious and inflammatory remarks on social media. Specifically, she likened the backlash she received regarding her conservative viewpoints to the persecution of the Jewish population in Nazi Germany. That was enough for Disney, who issued a statement regarding her firing:
“Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future. Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable.”
Carano recently appeared on the Joe Rogan podcast to promote her first post-Disney project, Terror on the Prairie. (For those unfamiliar, it’s an indie western available only on the Daily Wire YouTube channel.) Based on some of the things she said in the interview, there is no question that Disney made the right decision in cutting her loose.
Gina Carano: detached from reality
Carano lost a starring role in The Mandalorian, one of the most successful streaming productions ever. Her words also likely cost her the opportunity to lead her own show. (Rumor was that she was to star in the Rangers of the New Republic spinoff.) Thus far, her “comeback” consists of a single film on a subscription-only conservative YouTube channel. That’s not exactly what one would call a resounding rebound. You’d think she’d make a stronger effort to resurrect her career…. Instead, she’s doubled down on conspiracy theories and false information, firing even more holes in her integrity and credibility.
What did she say this time, you ask? With Rogan, Gina Carano parroted a number of baseless claims about COVID-19. First, she repeated the conspiracy theory that someone released the virus of purpose. The pandemic lockdown, according to her, was intended to “make people comply.” She also questioned the fact that COVID is indeed different than the flu. Perhaps most mind-boggling was her statement that the “research” she has seen showed that the COVID vaccine was only 5-7% effective. That, of course, is 100% patently false.
Disney dodged a bullet
Look, Gina Carano is entitled to her opinions. Such baseless, uniformed, and unsupported opinions, however, belie the old adage that people should respect others’ opinions. Sorry, no. Not when your opinion has no basis in fact whatsoever. This whole scenario also serves as a reminder regarding the First Amendment. The right to free speech only prevents the repression of such speech by a governmental authority. It does not affect private, contractual obligations between two parties. Can the U.S. Government stop Carano from speaking out? No. Can Disney fire her for doing so? Yes. Based on how she acted, continues to act, and the misinformation she continues to spread, was Disney right in firing her from the Star Wars franchise?
Absolutely.
