‘Yellowstone’ Actress Q’orianka Kilcher Sues James Cameron and Disney Over Unauthorized Use of…
Actress Q’orianka Kilcher is suing James Cameron and Disney, alleging unauthorized use of her likeness in the movie Avatar, citing a violation of California's deepfake law.
- Incident date
- May 2026
- Target
- Q'orianka Kilcher
Q’orianka Kilcher, known for her role in Yellowstone, has filed a lawsuit against James Cameron and Disney, alleging that her likeness was used without permission in the character design for Neytiri in Avatar. The suit claims that Cameron used a 2005 photograph of Kilcher as a facial reference when developing the character, who was ultimately portrayed by Zoe Saldaña.
What happened
Kilcher alleges that Cameron extracted her facial features after seeing her in the 2005 film The New World, directing his design team to use it as the basis for Neytiri. She cites a YouTube video where Cameron discusses the design inspiration behind Neytiri, recalling Kilcher's appearance in New World and how her face molded the character. Kilcher claims that Cameron gave her a sketch of Neytiri, stating that her beauty was the early inspiration for the character. The lawsuit seeks damages tied to the Avatar franchise and pursues claims under California’s deepfake law, arguing that Kilcher's biometric identity was exploited without her consent or compensation.