Australian breakdancer Raygunwhose real name is Rachael Gunn, has attracted worldwide attention with her unconventional dancing skills. However, she recently took legal action to stop the musical bearing her name and personality just hours before its scheduled premiere.
"Raygun: The Musical," hosted by comedian Stephanie Broadbridge, was canceled after Gunn's lawyers contacted the comedy club hosting the event and threatened legal action if the show went ahead, the agency reported.
Broadbridge later revealed on social media that Raygun's lawyers claimed that the poster used for the musical was trademarked, prohibiting its use.
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Raygun Musical canceled after legal dispute
According to The Associated Pressthe comedian also revealed that Guna's lawyers have warned that she could face legal consequences if she performs the viral kangaroo dance, as the Paris Olympian has rights to the routine.
Anthony Skinner, promoter and owner of Darlinghurst's iD Comedy Club, where the musical was due to debut, said all proceeds from the show would go to the women's shelter.
On Thursday, Dec. 19, Broadbridge shared an update on Instagram, revealing a revised poster for the production with the new title, "Breaking: The Musical," and no mention of Gunn's likeness. The updated slogan read: "A perfectly legal parody musical."
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Who is Raygun?
At this summer's Olympic Games in Paris, Gunn has become one of the most talked about participants despite losing all three contests by a combined score of 54-0. Backlash and criticism on social media was swift, prompting the 37-year-old to speak out against the negative behaviour.
"It's really sad to hear those criticisms and I'm very sorry for the backlash the community has experienced," Gunn previously said Australia 10 news. "But I can't control how people react."
"It was really sad how much hate it caused," Gunn added. "And a lot of the responses are also just because people are not really familiar with breaking and different approaches to breaking. The energy and the desire that people had was quite alarming."
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Raygun retreats -- and then retreats
"So I've been talking, you know, on 2dayFM about how I'm not going to do certain events anymore, which didn't seem like a big deal to me because smashing isn't going to be at the Olympics (at the 2028 LA Games) anyway," he said. Gunn, according to New York Post.
“I'm not retiring. Try to stop me. I will never stop dancing. So if you hear that again, you know it's not true. You can't retire from an art form. That's why I will never stop."
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Controversy surrounds Raygun's Olympic berth
Gunn endured an onslaught of hostile messages, and an anonymous petition demanding her apology garnered 50,000 signatures. She has been falsely accused of manipulating her way onto the Olympic stage at the expense of other skilled dancers in the Australian hip-hop community.
Among the rumors were claims that Gunn had set up the governing body that oversees the Oceania qualifiers to secure her place. Another unsubstantiated claim suggests that her husband, a respected bandit and authorized judge, was part of the council responsible for her selection.
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How did Raygun get to the Olympics?
The Sydney Morning Herald previously confirmed that Gunn and her husband Samuel Free are neither founders nor leaders of the Australian Breaking Association. The organization was actually founded by Lowe Napalan, a respected figure in the Australian breaker community.
"The selection process for the Australian Breaking team heading to Paris was conducted over two days and is open to all interested participants in the Ocean region," the Australian breaking organization AUSbreak said in a statement. "Adhering to the regulations of the World Dance Sports Federation (WDSF), which are aligned with the standards of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the process aimed to ensure a fair and transparent outcome."
"Their selection was based solely on their performance in the battles of the day," AUSBreak added in its statement.
After speculation, Raygun admitted"I didn't know it would open the door to so much hate, which was quite devastating, to be honest. Even though I went out there and had fun, I took it very seriously. I did my best, preparing for the Olympics and I really did my best. I'm honored to be part of the Australian Olympic team and to be part of breaking's Olympic debut."
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