Disney CEO Bob Chapek says the company doesn't have a blacklist designed to punish conservatives in light of Gina Carano's firing from The Mandalorian.
During The Walt Disney Company’s 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, an investor told Chapek it was clear Disney had a blacklist against conservatives after Carano was fired for comparing being a Republican to being a Jew during the Holocaust. He cited Pedro Pascal making an analogy of his own regarding the children of ICE detainees being held in cages as evidence, as Carano is an outspoken Republican while Pascal is an outspoken Democrat.
"I don't really see Disney as characterizing itself as left-leaning or right-leaning, yet as standing for values -- values that are universal," Chapek said. "Values of respect, values of decency, values of integrity and values of inclusion. And we seek to have not only, how we operate but the content that we make reflective of the rich diversity of the world that we live in."
On Feb. 10, #FireGinaCarano began trending on Twitter after the actor shared a post from another social media account detailing how strong fascist influence in Europe made it easier for Nazis to persecute Jews by first making the rest of the world hate them. The post ends by positing, "How is that any different from hating someone for their political views?" Carano herself is an outspoken conservative, and her comparing the treatment of Republicans to Jews during the Holocaust drew ire from fans.
Shortly after, Lucasfilm issued a statement, saying, "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."
During the shareholder meeting, Chapek was also asked if the company had plans to fire Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy and replace her with either Jon Favreau or Dave Filoni. "We’ve been absolutely thrilled that we can have the kind of talent in our company, the likes of Kathy Kennedy to run [Lucasfilm]," Chapek said. "We look forward to having Kathy directing the activities of the entire Lucasfilm organization for many years to come."
Source: The Walt Disney Company