Indigenous Actress Sues James Cameron for Using Her Face on Avatar

The lawsuit claims that James Cameron and his team used drawings and designs, including 3D models, based on Wes Studi’s daughter, Kaiulani Studi Kilcher, without her permission or payment. According to the suit, this contributed to the massive success of the Avatar films, which portrayed itself as supportive of Indigenous communities while secretly taking advantage of a young Indigenous woman. Kilcher also alleges that Cameron sent her a sketch of the character Neytiri in 2010, writing that her appearance initially inspired the character’s design, but he couldn’t cast her because she was already working on another film.






