Australian breakdancer Raygun, whose actual identify is Rachael Gunn, gained international consideration for her unconventional dancing abilities. Nonetheless, she just lately took authorized motion to halt a musical bearing her identify and likeness simply hours earlier than its scheduled premiere.
The present, “Raygun: The Musical,” led by comic Stephanie Broadbridge, was canceled after Gunn’s attorneys contacted the comedy membership internet hosting the occasion and threatened authorized motion if the efficiency proceeded, the outlet reported.
Broadbridge later revealed on social media that Raygun’s attorneys claimed the poster used for the musical had been trademarked, prohibiting its use.
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Raygun Musical Canceled After Authorized Dispute
In keeping with The Related Press, the comic additionally revealed that Gunn’s attorneys warned she might face authorized penalties if she carried out the viral kangaroo dance, because the Paris Olympian holds the rights to the routine.
Anthony Skinner, the promoter and proprietor of Darlinghurst’s iD Comedy Membership, the place the musical was slated to debut, said that every one proceeds from the present have been supposed to learn a girls’s shelter.
On Thursday, December 19, Broadbridge shared an replace on Instagram, unveiling a revised poster for the manufacturing with the brand new title, “Breaking: The Musical,” and no reference to Gunn’s likeness. The up to date tagline learn, “A totally authorized parody musical.”
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Who Is Raygun?
At this summer season’s Paris Olympics, Gunn turned one of the vital talked-about contributors regardless of dropping all three of her competitions with a mixed rating of 54-0. The social media backlash and criticism have been swift, main the 37-year-old to talk out towards the destructive habits.
“It’s actually unhappy to listen to these criticisms and I’m very sorry for the backlash that the neighborhood has skilled,” Gunn beforehand advised Australia 10 Information. “However I can’t management how folks react.”
“It was actually unhappy how a lot hate that it did evoke,” Gunn added. “And loads of the responses can also be simply attributable to folks not being very accustomed to breaking and the variety of approaches in breaking. The power and vitriol that individuals had was fairly alarming.”
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Raygun Retires — And Then Unretires
“So I used to be speaking, you realize, on 2dayFM about how I’m not going to do sure competitions anymore, which didn’t look like such a giant deal as a result of breaking isn’t going to be within the Olympics [at the 2028 L.A. Games] anyway,” Gunn stated, per the New York Submit.
“I’m not retiring. You try to cease me. I’m not ever going to cease dancing. So for those who hear that once more, you realize that it’s not the reality. You possibly can’t retire from an artwork kind. In order that’s why I’m by no means going to cease.”
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Controversy Surrounds Raygun’s Olympics Spot
Gunn endured an onslaught of hostile messages, with an nameless petition demanding her apology garnering 50,000 signatures. She was baselessly accused of manipulating her means onto the Olympic stage on the expense of different expert dancers within the Australian hip-hop neighborhood.
Among the many rumors have been claims that Gunn had established the governing physique overseeing the Oceania qualifiers to safe her spot. One other unfounded allegation instructed her husband, a well-regarded breaker and authorized decide, had been a part of the panel accountable for her choice.
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How Did Raygun Make It To The Olympics?
The Sydney Morning Herald beforehand confirmed that Gunn and her husband, Samuel Free, are neither founders nor leaders of the Australian Breaking Affiliation. The group was really established by Lowe Napalan, a revered determine within the Australian breaking neighborhood.
“The choice course of for Australia’s Breaking group heading to Paris was performed over two days, and open to all contributors within the Oceanic area,” the Australian breaking group AUSBreak stated in a press release. “Adhering to World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) rules, which align with Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) requirements, the method aimed to make sure a good and clear final result.”
“Their choice was primarily based solely on their efficiency of their battles on that day,” AUSBreak added in its assertion.
Following the hypothesis, Raygun admitted, “I didn’t notice that that may open the door to a lot hate, which has frankly been fairly devastating. Whereas, I went on the market and I had enjoyable, I did take it very significantly. I labored my butt off, getting ready for the Olympics and I gave my all actually. I’m honored to have been part of the Australian Olympic Group and to be a part of breaking’s Olympic debut.”