`Yellowstone' actor Q'orianka Kilcher beats fraud charges
LOS ANGELES >> Attorney Camille Vasquez, who represented Johnny Depp in last year's blockbuster defamation trial, has scored another legal victory — this time with “Yellowstone” actor Q'orianka Kilcher.
On Friday, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office cleared Kilcher, 32, of all charges in a workers' compensation fraud case. In a statement shared Friday with the Los Angeles Times, a spokesperson for the L.A. County district attorney said the court “determined that Ms. Kilcher did not commit insurance fraud and advised the court that we were unable to proceed.”
In July 2022, California officials charged Kilcher with two felony counts of workers' compensation fraud, accusing her of illegally collecting more than $96,000 in disability benefits between October 2019 and September 2021.
The time frame also includes several months when Kilcher worked on “Yellowstone,” despite the actor's claims that she was too injured to work. Kilcher self-surrendered and was arraigned in May.
“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 Friday in a statement shared with the Times.
She added that she “look(s) forward to shedding more light on this experience and continuing to do the work I love.”
Kilcher also thanked Vasquez and her fellow Brown Rudnick attorney Steve Cook for “their steadfast belief in my innocence.” According to TMZ, Kilcher hired the two in September.
Kilcher broke out with Terrence Malick's 2002 movie “The New World,” where she portrayed Pocahontas. Her credits also include “Sons of Anarchy,” “The Alienist” and “Dora and the Lost City of Gold.” She most recently appeared in the road-trip film “Dog,” starring Channing Tatum.