Carrie Fisher's Dog Gary Reportedly Caught Up In Public Appearance Controversy

During the promotional campaign for The Force Awakens, audiences grew to know and love Carrie [...]

During the promotional campaign for The Force Awakens, audiences grew to know and love Carrie Fisher's adorable dog Gary, who often appeared alongside her on various talk shows. The dog gained such a passionate fanbase that legal issues have arisen surrounding the dog's public appearances, with Carrie's former assistant Corby McCoin wanting to give fans the chance to meet him while Lucasfilm and Carrie's family don't want to reduce her legacy to just her dog.

Following Fisher's sudden death late last year, Gary was often spotted with the actress' daughter Billie Lourd, as the bond between the two seemingly helped Lourd cope with the loss. Officially, however, McCoin gained custody of the dog and even maintains his Instagram account, which has amassed more than 160,000 followers.

According to TMZ, McCoin attempted to bring Gary to San Diego Comic-Con to allow fans the chance to meet him, but Lucasfilm intervened and prevented the appearance from taking place. This past April, Mark Hamill reportedly wanted to bring Gary out on stage during an event at Star Wars Celebration, which Lourd reportedly prevented from happening.

Sources close to Billie and her father reported to TMZ that, at the time of her passing, Gary was merely a pet to her and they feel as though bringing Gary to various functions would "cheapen" the legacy of the actress. Billie's father feels Gary cheapens her legacy so much, in fact, that he has reportedly tried to get McCoin to delete the dog's Instagram account, which regularly posts throwback photos that are tributes to Carrie.

McCoin was even reportedly offered a monthly reimbursement to take down the page, possibly to make up for any income she might receive from bringing Gary to events.

The potential for fans to meet Gary anytime soon might seem murky, but writer/director of The Last Jedi Rian Johnson recently confirmed that one alien in the upcoming film was designed as a tribute to the canine.

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The dog appears as the companion of one of the guests on the casino planet Canto Bight, with the creature's distinctive bulging eyes being a giveaway for the intended representation.

Fans can see the homage to Gary when The Last Jedi hits theaters on December 15.

[H/T TMZ]

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