Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn, the Olympic breakdancer, has finally spoken out against claims of cultural appropriation and revealed the surprising reason her legal team axed a musical about her life.
The Cancellation Controversy
Comedian Stephanie Broadbridge was all set to debut her trial show, Raygun: The Musical, last Saturday. But just hours before the curtains were meant to open, the venue received a legal notice from Gunn’s lawyers, forcing the show to be cancelled.
Broadbridge took to Instagram to share the news, claiming that Gunn’s lawyers had trademarked the poster and prohibited her from performing the viral kangaroo dance, allegedly because Raygun “owns” it.
Gunn’s Side of the Story
However, Gunn has now come forward to set the record straight. In a video posted on Instagram, she denied “owning” the dance and explained that her legal team intervened because they were caught off guard by the production.
“The first we heard of it was last Friday, and we were totally blindsided,” Gunn said. “Unfortunately, the blowback was quick, and it damaged many relationships, both personal and professional. This is why my management and legal team had to act.”
A Misunderstanding, Not Malice
Gunn empathized with Broadbridge, saying that the cancellation must have been “really sucky” for her. She added that if they had known about the show sooner, things might have turned out differently.
As a Macquarie University professor, Gunn appreciates “artistic interpretation” of her polarizing Olympics performance and insists she can “take a joke.”
No Trademark on the Kangaroo Dance
Gunn cleared up another misconception: she didn’t trademark the kangaroo dance. Instead, she trademarked her name and the famous kangaroo silhouette pose to prevent others from using her image for commercial gain.
“I did not trademark or claim trademark ownership of the kangaroo dance,” she clarified. “Yes, I’ve trademarked my name and my famous kangaroo silhouette pose. The reason we did that was because we were notified other parties applied to trademark my name and image for commercial purposes.”
Inspired by the Olympic Mascot, Not Aboriginal Culture
Gunn also addressed accusations that her dance was inspired by Aboriginal culture. She explained that her moves were actually inspired by the Australian Olympic mascot.
“It was inspired by the Australian Olympics mascot,” she said. “Remember, there is a person behind all this with a family and friends, and who, until a few months ago, nobody had even heard of. I’m just trying to do my best to navigate this new chapter of my life.”