Q’orianka Kilcher, who starred in four episodes of the TV show Yellowstone, has been charged with allegedly collecting disability payments illegally while working on the series.
Kilcher, 32, was charged with two felony counts of workers’ compensation insurance fraud, according to the California Department of Insurance (CDI). According to Deadline, Kilcher reported injuring her neck and shoulder while filming the movie Dora and the Lost City of Gold back in 2018. She allegedly told doctors she was too injured to take on work and that she was offered other parts but had to turn them down due to the injuries — but then starred on the Emmy-nominated series.
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A press release from the CDI about the case states: “California law prohibits misrepresenting injuries to medical providers to collect workers’ compensation insurance benefits, yet the investigation found Kilcher worked on Yellowstone during the time she told a doctor she had been too injured to work.”
“After reviewing wage information from her employer, the investigation found Kilcher had worked as an actress on the television show Yellowstone from July 2019 to October 2019, despite her statements to the doctor that she had been unable to work for a year,” the release continued. “According to records, she returned to the doctor and started receiving disability benefits five days after last working on the show.”
The doctor on Kilcher’s claim was informed of her employment history, and stated that if they had known she was able to work they would not have granted Kilcher’s disability payments.
From October 14, 2019 to September 9, 2021, Kilcher collected US $96,838 in disability benefits, according to the CDI release.
Kilcher is scheduled to appear in court next on August 7, 2022.
