Raygun Parody Musical Nixed After Olympic Breaker's Lawyers Step in

Australian Breakdancer Raygun Announces Retirement After Olympic Backlash

A parody philharmonic astir viral Olympic breaker Rachael "B-girl Raygun" Gunn has been unopen down.

Hours earlier comedian Steph Broadbridge's signifier amusement Breaking: The Musical was acceptable to debut Dec. 7 astatine iD Comedy Club successful Sydney, Australia, the accumulation was canceled aft the Olympian's attorneys sent a cease-and-desist letter, according to Broadbridge.

"Raygun's lawyers got successful interaction with the venue and threatened ineligible action," the comic, wearing a replica of the breakdancer's greenish Olympics outfit, said successful an Instagram video posted that day. "So we volition beryllium refunding everyone their $10 oregon comp summons backmost for that."

Broadbridge said that she and the Olympian person since resolved the substance done her ineligible team, with the comedian yet changing the rubric and poster for the philharmonic to omit the connection Raygun and her silhouette. Broadbridge present plans to instrumentality the revised amusement connected the road—with Raygun’s approval.

"I'm truly blessed for her and I privation her each the champion with the amusement and with the tour," Raygun said successful an Instagram video shared Dec. 19, adding, "We person not sought immoderate costs from each this."

he breaker, an Australian assemblage lecturer with a Ph.D. successful taste studies, received backlash connected societal media implicit her viral show during the 2024 Paris Olympics in August, during which she mislaid each 3 of her B-Girl round-robin battles. In November, Raygun announced she is retiring from competitory dancing.

Broadbridge’s philharmonic was primitively described arsenic a "parody exploration of a breakdancer’s travel to the 2024 Paris Olympics," according to an Eventbrite listing, which besides touts its "soon to beryllium hit" songs "You May Be a B-girl But You’ll Always Be an A-girl To Me," "I’m Breaking Down" and "I Would Have Won But I Pulled a Muscle."

The comedian had said successful her video that Raygun's ineligible squad was disquieted she was damaging their client's brand. "Which I would ne'er do," she added. "She doesn't request maine to bash that."

The 42-year-old continued, referring to 1 of Raygun's signature moves, "They besides said I wasn't allowed to bash the creation due to the fact that she owns the Kangaroo dance. That 1 did puzzle me. I mean, that's an Olympic level dance. How would I perchance beryllium capable to bash that without immoderate ceremonial breakdancing training?"

The 42-year-old said Raygun's lawyers "were precise acrophobic that radical would deliberation that Rachael Gunn was affiliated with the musical."

"I privation to guarantee everyone, she volition not beryllium portion of the show," Steph said, adding, "She's precise invited to come. I would emotion for her to spot it."

Broadbridge continued, referring to 1 of Raygun's signature moves, "They besides said I wasn't allowed to bash the creation due to the fact that she owns the Kangaroo dance. That 1 did puzzle me. I mean, that's an Olympic level dance. How would I perchance beryllium capable to bash that without immoderate ceremonial breakdancing training?"

The 42-year-old said Raygun's lawyers "were precise acrophobic that radical would deliberation that Rachael Gunn was affiliated with the musical."

"I privation to guarantee everyone, she volition not beryllium portion of the show," Broadbridge said, adding, "She's precise invited to come. I would emotion for her to spot it."

"We would similar to clarify that Rachael Gunn's absorption and ineligible squad is committed to protecting her intelligence property," the radical said to Australian outlet 7News, "and ensuring that her marque remains beardown and respected."

The connection continued, "While we person immense respect for the credible enactment and effort that has gone into the improvement of the show, we indispensable instrumentality indispensable steps to safeguard Rachael’s originative rights and the integrity of her work. This enactment is not intended to diminish the contributions of others, but alternatively to guarantee her marque is decently represented and protected successful each aboriginal endeavours."

Broadbridge aboriginal issued a written connection of her own, apologizing to the jock implicit the contention that erupted implicit the parody show.

"I americium profoundly atrocious to larn that Raygun has faced antagonistic backlash arsenic a effect of the media attraction astir the cancellation of the preview of the musical." she wrote connected Instagram Dec. 19. "The past happening I wanted was for anyone to acquisition hatred oregon distress from this situation."

Broadbridge besides shared a caller poster for the revised musical, which volition unfastened successful February successful the metropolis of Adelaide, nether the caller rubric Breaking the Musical, dubbed "a wholly ineligible parody musical."