Gina Carano Says Taking on Disney Was Worth the Backlash [WATCH]

Gina Carano walked into her Netflix fight week already claiming a victory.

Nearly 17 years after her last professional bout, the MMA trailblazer arrived at Thursday’s press conference still basking in the outcome of her legal battle with Disney, a studio she says tried to silence her, as reported by Fox News.

Now preparing to face Ronda Rousey in Netflix’s first live women’s MMA event, Carano reflected on a journey that tested both her career and convictions.

Her firing from “The Mandalorian” in 2021 sparked a nationwide debate over free speech, politics, and the limits of expression in Hollywood. The backlash was swift, but Carano insists she would do it all again.

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When asked by a reporter from OutKick if she would stand by her beliefs despite the cost, her response was met with a raw cry from the audience: “F— Disney.”

Carano did not hold back.

“Standing up for freedom of speech in this country. I don’t apologize one bit for anything that I said. I look back, and I have so much confidence in myself because everything that I’ve said came true. Everything that I have said happened.”

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She explained that the decision to speak out came from a sense of calm determination rather than defiance.

“Everybody was holding their breath, and I didn’t,” she said.

“I stood up, and I spoke out, and I paid a heavy price for it. But I would pay that price again and again, because we cannot let what was happening to this country happen again.”

Carano’s firing came after several online posts that challenged COVID mandates and other social topics during a highly polarized political climate. Lucasfilm publicly condemned the posts, calling them “abhorrent,” and severed ties with the actress.

She later filed a lawsuit against Disney and Lucasfilm, alleging she was terminated for expressing conservative views.

The case attracted attention not only because of its high-profile defendant, but also because of the financial backing she received from Elon Musk and X.

By August 2025, Carano reached a settlement with the entertainment giant, a legal outcome many viewed as her own version of vindication.

The agreement came with a statement from Lucasfilm praising her as a “well-respected” talent and suggesting openness to future collaborations.

For Carano, it was more than legal relief. It was symbolic. “We cannot let go of our freedom of speech even if you don’t like it,” she said.

“We need to be able to speak to one another, to open up speech, and we can’t lose our rights. There have been people that have been fired whose opinions I disagree with, but I don’t think they should be fired.”

She described the settlement as a huge win and said it represented her belief that corporations should not dictate personal expression.

“I don’t think we should take their livelihood from them,” Carano added. “We should be able, in America, to set the precedent of freedom. And I’m not sorry one bit, and it turned out well. Disney settled, and I’m proud of that. That was a huge victory for me.”

The long ordeal, she said, amounted to a “physical victory” of endurance and willpower. But this weekend, she sees an even more personal triumph ahead inside the cage.

“That was a physical victory,” Carano said of the legal fight. “This is kind of more personal; a reclaim my body victory.”

Her return to professional fighting on May 16 will mark her first bout since 2009, a reentry that carries both symbolic and literal weight.

After years of controversy, Carano’s focus appears clear: she feels at peace, undefeated in conviction, and ready for what comes next.

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