When Disney purchased 20th Century Fox, the company not only gained the rights to Fox’s film library, it also became the owner of a number of successful television shows. One of those shows was 9-1-1, which has been on the air since 2018. One of the show’s main characters was Michael Grant, played by Rockmond Dunbar. Dunbar had been on 9-1-1 since its premiere, and fans were shocked when it was announced that the actor would be leaving the series at the end of the fifth season.
When the COVID-19 vaccine became widely available, many companies began instituting mandatory vaccination policies. One of those companies was The Walt Disney Company. Dunbar requested a medical exemption, so he did not have to get the vaccine, which was denied. He then applied for a religious exemption, which Disney denied yet again. Dunbar continued to refuse the vaccine, and Disney promptly ended his contract.
Dunbar has now filed a lawsuit against The Walt Disney Company. Dunbar claims that he is a member of the Church of Universal Wisdom, in which its members do not believe in injecting any man-made substances into the body. According to Dunbar’s lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court, and reported by Deadline:
Dunbar is seeking $1.3 million in damages from Disney. Disney did not comment on the litigation in particular, but did issue the following response:
Dunbar is not the first Disney actor to leave amidst vaccination requirements. Recently, it was announced that Emilio Estevez would not be returning to season two of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, although the actor has said that he is not anti-vax and his departure was merely due to creative differences.
Disney has also reportedly had issues with Letitia Wright, star of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. While James is not required to be vaccinated because the film was in production before the mandate went into place, rumors were swirling that she was vocal about her anti-vaccination beliefs on set. The actress has denied those claims.