Raygun Musical Canceled Amid Lawsuit From Breakdancer’s Lawyers

Australian breakdancer Raygun, whose real name is Rachael Gunn, gained global attention for her unconventional dancing skills. However, she recently took legal action to halt a musical bearing her name and likeness just hours before its scheduled premiere.

The show, "Raygun: The Musical," led by comedian Stephanie Broadbridge, was canceled after Gunn’s lawyers contacted the comedy club hosting the event and threatened legal action if the performance 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.

According to The Associated Press, the comedian also revealed that Gunn’s attorneys warned she could face legal consequences if she performed the viral kangaroo dance, as the Paris Olympian holds the rights to the routine.

Anthony Skinner, the promoter and owner of Darlinghurst’s iD Comedy Club, where the musical was slated to debut, stated that all proceeds from the show were intended to benefit a women’s shelter.

On Thursday, December 19, Broadbridge shared an update on Instagram, unveiling a revised poster for the production with the new title, "Breaking: The Musical," and no reference to Gunn’s likeness. The updated tagline read, “A completely legal parody musical.”

At this summer’s Paris Olympics, Gunn became one of the most talked-about participants despite losing all three of her competitions with a combined score of 54-0. The social media backlash and criticism were swift, leading the 37-year-old to speak out against the negative behavior.

“It is really sad to hear those criticisms and I am very sorry for the backlash that the community has experienced,” Gunn previously told Australia 10 News. “But I can’t control how people react.”

"It was really sad how much hate that it did evoke," Gunn added. "And a lot of the responses is also just due to people not being very familiar with breaking and the diversity of approaches in breaking. The energy and vitriol that people had was pretty alarming."

In November, Gunn announced her retirement from breakdancing, only to backtrack four days later, clarifying that her statement had been taken out of context.

“So I was talking, you know, on 2dayFM about how I’m not going to do certain competitions anymore, which didn’t seem like such a big deal because breaking is not going to be in the Olympics [at the 2028 L.A. Games] anyway,” Gunn said, per the New York Post.

“I’m not retiring. You try and stop me. I’m not ever going to stop dancing. So if you hear that again, you know that it’s not the truth. You can’t retire from an art form. So that's why I’m never going to stop."

Gunn endured an onslaught of hostile messages, with an anonymous petition demanding her apology garnering 50,000 signatures. She was baselessly 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 established the governing body overseeing the Oceania qualifiers to secure her spot. Another unfounded allegation suggested her husband, a well-regarded breaker and certified judge, had been part of the panel responsible for her selection.

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 established by Lowe Napalan, a respected figure in the Australian breaking community.

"The selection process for Australia's Breaking team heading to Paris was conducted over two days, and open to all interested participants in the Oceanic region," the Australian breaking organization AUSBreak said in a statement. "Adhering to World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) regulations, which align with International Olympic Committee (IOC) standards, the process aimed to ensure a fair and transparent outcome."

"Their selection was based solely on their performance in their battles on that day," AUSBreak added in its statement.

Following the speculation, Raygun admitted, “I didn’t realize that that would open the door to so much hate, which has frankly been pretty devastating. While, I went out there and I had fun, I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off, preparing for the Olympics and I gave my all truly. I’m honored to have been a part of the Australian Olympic Team and to be part of breaking’s Olympic debut."