‘9-1-1’ Star Has Meltdown In Court After Losing Disney COVID Vaccine Lawsuit

Rockmond Dunbar, best known for his role as Michael Grant on "9-1-1," made headlines once again, this time for his emotional courtroom breakdown after losing his highly publicized lawsuit against Disney over the studio’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The 51-year-old actor, who starred alongside Angela Bassett and Oliver Stark on the hit Fox drama, had sued Disney-owned 20th Television in 2022, claiming the company unlawfully fired him for refusing to comply with its vaccine requirements. Dunbar alleged his firing violated his religious rights, arguing that as a member of the Congregation of Universal Wisdom, his faith prohibits vaccination and certain medical procedures. After years of legal wrangling, the verdict finally came down on Friday in Los Angeles, and it did not go in Dunbar’s favor.

The jury ruled that Disney acted lawfully in its decision to remove him from the show, sparking an explosive emotional reaction from the actor in open court. Witnesses described Dunbar as visibly shaken, crying out for his family as the judgment was read.

As the decision was announced, Dunbar placed his head in his hands before shouting, “Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!” He then turned toward his wife and children seated in the gallery, visibly distraught. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. We’ll be okay,” he said, according to Variety.

Dunbar had been a mainstay on "9-1-1" since its debut, playing the ex-husband of Angela Bassett’s character, Athena Grant. But in 2021, amid Hollywood’s sweeping pandemic safety measures, his character was abruptly written off the show after he refused the COVID-19 vaccine.

In his lawsuit, filed in 2022, Dunbar argued that "9-1-1" producers failed to accommodate his religious objections and discriminated against his beliefs. The actor claimed his termination violated his rights under California law, citing his faith’s stance against “unnatural medical interference.”

During the four-day trial, Dunbar testified that his decision was based on spiritual conviction, not science. “Man created the COVID-19 vaccine to separate you from God,” he told jurors. “This is a spiritual war. This is a war of evil against good. I stood on the side of good. I stood on the side of God.”

Disney’s legal team, led by Maria Rodriguez of McDermott Will & Schulte, sought to undermine Dunbar’s credibility, highlighting contradictions between his stated beliefs and lifestyle. Rodriguez revealed that Dunbar takes synthetic testosterone and other prescription drugs, practices his religious organization has deemed “sacrilegious.”

Scrolling through a list of 37 medications Dunbar had reportedly used, Rodriguez told jurors, “This is way far from perfect. This isn’t even close.”

Before his firing, Dunbar said he was earning about $100,000 per episode and was even paid for episodes in which he didn’t appear. “It was a dream job,” he said. “It was like winning the lottery.”

Since leaving "9-1-1," Dunbar testified that he’s struggled to find consistent work and has depleted his savings trying to stay afloat. “I’m underwater. I’ve spent my entire retirement,” he told the court. “This has taken my life into a hole financially that I will never be able to get out of.” Even so, the actor maintained he was following divine instruction. “Take my cars, my money. I don’t care,” Dunbar said. “You have to leave here with your soul intact. This is my spiritual test and I passed.”

Dunbar insisted he’s not an “anti-vaxxer,” though he admitted his children are unvaccinated. He also testified that he believes the COVID-19 vaccine “has killed more people than the virus itself” and was made using “aborted fetal cells.”

Disney’s attorneys countered those claims with medical testimony from Dr. Glenn Braunstein, a consultant who advised the studio during the pandemic. “There is no live disease or fetal material in any of the vaccines,” Braunstein said, dismissing Dunbar’s assertion that “foreign objects” had been found in Pfizer’s formula as “hogwash.”

In her closing argument, Rodriguez emphasized that Disney was not questioning Dunbar’s religion, but rather whether his objections were truly religious in nature or personal beliefs reframed as faith. She also argued that Dunbar failed to properly engage with the studio to explore accommodations.

After deliberation, the jury sided with Disney. In a statement, 20th Television said, “We are pleased with today’s verdict, which affirms that 20th Television acted fairly and lawfully toward Mr. Dunbar.”