the law

Yellowstone Star Q’orianka Kilcher Cleared of Fraud Charges

Photo: Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic

Q’orianka Kilcher was cleared of two felony counts of insurance fraud on Friday, Variety reports. The actress had been accused in July 2022 of illegally collecting $96,838 in workers’ compensation benefits. The case was tied to payments Kilcher received for neck and shoulder injuries she allegedly suffered while filming Dora and the Lost City of Gold in 2018. The California Department of Insurance had alleged that Kilcher was starring as Angela Blue Thunder on Yellowstone during the time she had claimed she couldn’t work because of her injuries. “After the charges were filed, the Workers Compensation Insurance claims adjuster retroactively changed his conclusion regarding her ability to work,” a D.A. spokesperson said in a statement. “We therefore determined that Ms. Kilcher did not commit insurance fraud and advised the court that we were unable to proceed.”

“Today, I am beyond grateful that my case has been dismissed — tomorrow my journey begins to help raise awareness and demand more transparency for worker’s rights within the workers’ comp system,” Kilcher said in a statement. Her legal team included attorneys Camille Vasquez (who famously represented Johnny Depp) and Stephen Cook; they have reportedly been investigating the case for the past six months. Kilcher thanked the pair in her statement for their “steadfast belief” in her innocence. “Finally, I want to thank my family, friends, fans, and fellow industry peers whose support has kept me going,” she concluded. “I look forward to shedding more light on this experience and continuing to do the work I love.”

Yellowstone Star Q’orianka Kilcher Cleared of Fraud Charges