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

Australian Breakdancer Raygun Announces Retirement After Olympic Backlash

A parody musical about viral Olympic breaker Rachael "B-girl Raygun" Gunn has been shut down.

Hours before comedian Steph Broadbridge's stage show Breaking: The Musical was set to debut Dec. 7 at iD Comedy Club in Sydney, Australia, the production was canceled after the Olympian's attorneys sent a cease-and-desist letter, according to Broadbridge.

"Raygun's lawyers got in touch with the venue and threatened legal action," the comic, wearing a replica of the breakdancer's green Olympics outfit, said in an Instagram video posted that day. "So we will be refunding everyone their $10 or comp ticket back for that."

Broadbridge said that she and the Olympian have since resolved the matter through her legal team, with the comedian ultimately changing the title and poster for the musical to omit the word Raygun and her silhouette. Broadbridge now plans to take the revised show on the road—with Raygun’s approval.

"I'm really happy for her and I wish her all the best with the show and with the tour," Raygun said in an Instagram video shared Dec. 19, adding, "We have not sought any costs from all this."

he breaker, an Australian university lecturer with a Ph.D. in cultural studies, received backlash on social media over her viral performance during the 2024 Paris Olympics in August, during which she lost all three of her B-Girl round-robin battles. In November, Raygun announced she is retiring from competitive dancing.

Broadbridge’s musical was originally described as a "parody exploration of a breakdancer’s journey to the 2024 Paris Olympics," according to an Eventbrite listing, which also touts its "soon to be 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 in her video that Raygun's legal team was worried she was damaging their client's brand. "Which I would never do," she added. "She doesn't need me to do that."

The 42-year-old continued, referring to one of Raygun's signature moves, "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?"

The 42-year-old said Raygun's lawyers "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," Steph said, adding, "She's very welcome to come. I would love for her to see it."

Broadbridge continued, referring to one of Raygun's signature moves, "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?"

The 42-year-old said Raygun's lawyers "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," Broadbridge said, adding, "She's very welcome to come. I would love for her to see it."

"We would like to clarify that Rachael Gunn's management and legal team is committed to protecting her intellectual property," the group said to Australian outlet 7News, "and ensuring that her brand remains strong and respected."

The statement continued, "While we have immense respect for the credible work and effort that has gone into the development of the show, we must take necessary steps to safeguard Rachael’s creative rights and the integrity of her work. This action is not intended to diminish the contributions of others, but rather to ensure her brand is properly represented and protected in all future endeavours."

Broadbridge later issued a written statement of her own, apologizing to the athlete over the controversy that erupted over the parody show.

"I am deeply sorry to learn that Raygun has faced negative backlash as a result of the media attention around the cancellation of the preview of the musical." she wrote on Instagram Dec. 19. "The last thing I wanted was for anyone to experience hate or distress from this situation."

Broadbridge also shared a new poster for the revised musical, which will open in February in the city of Adelaide, under the new title Breaking the Musical, dubbed "a completely legal parody musical."