Goofy sued for negligence, inflicting trauma, in Disneyland collision

LOS ANGELES — Oh, Goofy, what have you done now?

Katrina Amian Redfern Griffin was bent over, tying her daughter's shoes during a trip to Disneyland in April 2022, when a park employee dressed as Goofy — the klutzy but lovable cartoon canine — barreled straight into her, according to a lawsuit she filed in Orange County Superior Court.

Then, she claims, he fell on top of her with all of his weight, driving her into the "hard cement floor."

Griffin suffered "severe, traumatic, debilitating, and permanent" physical injuries from the collision, along with emotional pain and suffering, she said.

Now, Griffin is suing Disneyland, the unnamed employee inside the Goofy costume, and Goofy's "handler," another employee who was supposed to guide the big, silly character around the park to make sure he didn't bump into anything, according to the lawsuit.

Representatives for Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday evening.

Personal injury lawsuits might not be the most pressing issue for Disney lawyers right now. The entertainment empire is embroiled in a number of high-profile legal battles that have placed it on the front lines of the nation's culture wars.

The movie division fired actor Gina Carano from the film "The Mandalorian" in 2021 after her social media posts questioned the results of the 2020 election and likened the treatment of American conservatives to German Jews during the Holocaust.

Carano, in turn, sued Disney for wrongful termination, claiming she had been fired for standing up to the "online bully mob who demanded her compliance with their extreme progressive ideology."

In Florida, Disney is fighting an extended court battle with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who took political control of the land upon which Walt Disney World sits after company officials opposed the state's "Don't Say Gay" law, which bans classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades.

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