Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Thursday, August 7th, 2025:
GINA CARANO & DISNEY SETTLE THEIR LAWSUIT WITH TERMS THAT ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS 'BENDING THE KNEE'
Four years later, it's easy to forget why actress Gina Carano lost her job on The Mandalorian. She and her representatives have continued to frame her high-firing profile as a Hollywood crackdown on conservatives. But she actually lost her job for posting comments that would have gotten any actor on a Disney production fired - liberal or conservative.
There were a lot of comments that critics saw as problematic, from posting that her pronouns were “beep/bop/boop” in her Twitter bio, to "Jeff Epstein didn't kill himself," to posting a photo on Carano’s Instagram story featuring a person with several masks covering their face and head with the caption: “Meanwhile in California.”
But the post that lost Carano her job on The Mandalorian was a post she shared on TikTok comparing the current divided political climate in the U.S. to Nazi Germany:
"Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors…even by children. Because history is edited, most people today don’t realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views.”
She deleted the posts, but on February 20th, 2021, Lucasfilm has released a statement announcing she was no longer expected to return to the show:
“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."
Soon after her Mandalorian firing, Carano entered in an arrangement with The Daily Wire’s production company, appearing in Terror on the Prairie and as a Secret Service agent in the Breitbart News-distributed My Son Hunter.
She also filed a wrongful-discharge and sex-discrimination lawsuit over being fired from The Mandalorian in April 2024. In the filing, the actress doubled down on her claims she was being prosecuted for her political beliefs:
"A short time ago in a galaxy not so far away, Defendants made it clear that only one orthodoxy in thought, speech, or action was acceptable in their empire, and that those who dared to question or failed to fully comply would not be tolerated," reads the complaint. "And so it was with Carano."
“The rule of law still reigns over the Defendants’ empire … and Carano has returned to demand that they be held accountable for their bullying, discriminatory, and retaliatory actions — actions that inflicted not only substantial emotional harm, but millions of dollars in lost income,” adds the suit, which also alleges sex discrimination.
“In addition to terminating her, Defendants refused to hire her for roles already promised, including but not limited to Season 3 of The Mandalorian, the new series Rangers of the New Republic, and planned future Stars Wars full length feature films (which have recently been announced) — all because of her political beliefs and in disparate treatment from her male co-workers,” the lawsuit argued.
In April 2024, Disney responded to the complaint by filing a motion to dismiss Carano's complaints. In the response, Disney lawyers explained that the former MMA fighter lost her Star Wars series job in 2021 because her decision “to publicly trivialize the Holocaust by comparing criticism of political conservatives to the annihilation of millions of Jewish people—notably, not ‘thousands’—was the final straw for Disney.”
The legal back-and-forth continued until this week, aided in large part by the decision by Elon Musk to fund Carano's lawsuit:
“As a sign of X Corp.’s commitment to free speech, we’re proud to provide financial support for Gina 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,” read a statement by the X’s head of business operations Joe Benarroch.
The legal battle ended on Tuesday, with both sides filing a request with the court to dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice, which means that it can't be refiled at a later date.
While details of the settlement haven't been revealed, based on public social media posts and statements from both sides, it's pretty clear that Carano and her Musk-backed team obtained a substantial victory.
Here is the statement released by lawyers for Disney:
“The Walt Disney Company and Lucasfilm are pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with Gina Carano to resolve the issues in her pending lawsuit against the companies. Ms. Carano was always well respected by her directors, co-stars, and staff, and she worked hard to perfect her craft while treating her colleagues with kindness and respect. With this lawsuit concluded, we look forward to identifying opportunities to work together with Ms. Carano in the near future."
And here is the statement from Carano:
"I have come to an agreement with Disney/Lucasfilm which I believe is the best outcome for all parties involved. I hope this brings some healing to the force.
I want to extend my deepest most heartfelt gratitude to Elon Musk, a man I’ve never met, who did this Good Samaritan deed for me in funding my lawsuit.
Thank you Mr. Musk and X for backing my case and asking for nothing in return.
To my lawyers at Schaerr|Jaffe who walked me through this unknown territory, thank you for your wisdom and guidance.
I am humbled and grateful to God for His love and grace in this outcome.
I’d like to thank you all for your unrelenting support throughout my life and career, you’ve been the heartbeat that has kept my story alive. I hope to make you proud.
I am excited to flip the page and move onto the next chapter. My desires remain in the arts, which is where I hope you will join me.
Yes, I’m smiling."
While it's impossible to know all the factors that led Disney to give up this legal fight, it's difficult not to speculate that a time when the company will need federal approval for its upcoming ESPN/NFL deal, making this ludicrous deal feels like yet another corporate surrender by executives hoping to stay in the good graces of the Trump Administration.
GRAPH OF THE DAY
DEAN CAIN IS JOINING ICE
I don't usually highlight this kind of story, but the news that actor Dean Cain is announcing that he is joining ICE feels like a story that is very 2025:
Speaking on Fox News on Wednesday, Cain said: "I put out a recruitment video yesterday - I'm actually a sworn deputy sheriff and a reserve police officer - I wasn't part of ICE, but once I put that out there and you put a little blurb on your show, it went crazy".
"So now I've spoken with some officials over at ICE, and I will be sworn in as an ICE agent asap."
"People have to step up. I'm stepping up. Hopefully a whole bunch of other former officers, former ICE agents will step up, and we'll meet those recruitment goals immediately and we'll help protect this country," Cain added.
For some reason, this reminds me of that time with Steven Seagal was sworn in as a Texas Border Sheriff back in 2011. He then went on in 2009 to become a reserve deputy sheriff in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana and star in the related A&E series Steven Seagal: Lawman. So I can't wait to see the inevitable Fox Nation series Dean Cain: Icing Illegal Immigration.
LA PRESS CLUB ADDS NATIVE AMERICAN JOURNALISM AWARD
ODDS AND SODS
* I am not someone who spends a lot of time saying "I told you so." But I wanted to point out that when CBS executive George Cheeks discussed the reasons why Stephen Colbert was canceled, his explanation tracked with what I reported a few days ago: the show was not losing $40 million a year and the upcoming deadline to renew staff and crew contracts played a large part in the timing of the decision.
* Disney+ has canceled Goosebumps after two seasons.
* USA Today is reporting that a cryptocurrency group has claimed responsibility for throwing sex toys at WNBA games. Because, of course it is.
WHAT'S NEW TOMORROW
FRIDAY, AUGUST 8TH:
* Bering Sea Gold Season Nineteen Premiere (Discovery Channel)
* City Confidential Season Nine Finale (A&E)
* Clown In A Cornfield (Shudder)
* Freaky Tales (HBO)
* Last Cowboy Standing Season Two Finale (Fox Nation)
* On Everything I Love (ALLBLK)
* Outlander: Blood Of My Blood Series Premiere (Starz)
* Ralph Barbosa: Planet Bosa (Hulu)
* Resident Alien Series Finale (Syfy/USA)
* Stolen: Heist Of The Century (Netflix)
* The Fixer Season One Finale (Fox)
* Totally Funny Animals Season One Finale (The CW)
* Totally Funny Kids Season One Finale (The CW)
SATURDAY, AUGUST 9TH:
* Finding Faith (Lifetime)
* American Prince: JFK Jr. (CNN)
SEE YOU ON FRIDAY!