Raygun: The Musical about viral Australian breakdancer moves forward with new name after legal threat

An unauthorized musical inspired by Rachael “Raygun” Gunn, who went viral for her breakdancing performance at this summer’s Paris Olympics, will move forward with a new name after she threatened legal action.

Earlier this month, comedian Stephanie Broadbridge called off Raygun: The Musical just hours before it was set to premiere in Sydney, Australia, after Gunn’s lawyers contacted its comedy club venue and threatened legal action.

In a video posted on Instagram, Broadbridge said: “Raygun’s lawyers got in touch with the venue and threatened legal action so we will be refunding everyone their $10.”

She continued: “Her lawyers trademarked my poster, which is flattering. I hope they do something fun with that. They were also worried that I was damaging her brand which I would never do. She doesn’t need me to do that.

“They were very concerned that people would think that Rachael Gunn was affiliated with the musical. I want to assure everyone she will not be part of the show. She’s very welcome to come, I would love for her to see it.

“They also said I wasn’t allowed to do the dance, because she owns the kangaroo dance. That one did puzzle me. I mean, that’s an Olympic level dance. How would I possibly be able to do that without any formal breakdancing training?”

Now, Broadbridge has revealed in a follow-up post on Thursday (December 19) that the musical would be rebranded as Breaking: The Musical for future performances. The new poster features the tagline: “A completely legal parody musical.”

Meanwhile, Gunn posted her own statement to Instagram on Thursday, saying that her legal team had “resolved everything” after coming to an agreement with Broadbridge.

“She still gets to go ahead with the musical, she’s got a new name, new poster, and she still gets to take that show on the road. So I’m really happy for her and I wish her all the best with the show and with the tour,” Gunn said.

She denied reports that she’d sought a 10,000 Australian dollar ($6,230) payment for the use of her name.

“We have not sought any costs from all this. So there’s a lot of talk around this $10,000... that was from really early on, like day one, my lawyers were acting on my behalf.”

Gunn said in her social media video that the decision to demand her name be removed from the musical was not about not “being able to take a joke.”

“I really do strive to support creativity and have loved the ways my performance has sparked so many different artistic interpretations, and there was so many fantastic memes that were clever, and funny and creative,” she said.

Gunn, also known as “B-girl Raygun,” shot to internet notoriety almost overnight in August after she performed unusual moves at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, including a kangaroo hop and a wriggle on the floor.

The 37-year-old university lecturer failed to score a single point in the competition, losing all three of her round-robin battles by a combined score of 54-0.

Gunn announced her retirement from the sport last month due to the social media criticism she received about her performance.

Additional reporting by Associated Press