• Lucasfilm says Gina Carano is no longer a part of "The Mandalorian" cast after many online called for her firing over a social media post that likened the experience of Jews during the Holocaust to the U.S. political climate. A spokesperson with the production company said in a statement Wednesday that Carano, 38, is not currently employed by Lucasfilm with "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," the statement read. Carano, a former mixed martial artist whose recurring Cara Dune character used a mix of heavy weapons and her fists to best opponents, fell under heavy criticism after she posted that "Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors ... even by children." The actor continued to say, "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?" Carano deleted the post, but it was widely shared online and spurred the #FireGinaCarano hashtag to trend. Her character appeared in several episodes of the second season of "The Mandalorian," a series about a bounty hunter and his quest to unite a powerful young user of the Force with a Jedi Knight.
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• Country star Morgan Wallen has asked fans not to downplay the racist language he was caught saying on camera and said he has accepted the punishments he faced. Last week, Wallen, 27, apologized after TMZ posted a video of Wallen saying a racial slur. On Wednesday night, Wallen posted a five-minute Instagram video saying he had let many people down, including his parents and his son. "Our actions matter. Our words matter. And I want to encourage anyone that is watching to please learn from my mistake. There's no reason to downplay what I did," he said. He said the video was taken after a three-day "bender," but he has since gotten sober. Wallen also said he has accepted invitations from Black organizations, executives and leaders to have honest conversations. As a result of the video, Wallen's songs were removed from radio stations and his record label suspended him.
