Charlyne Yi alleges physical assault on Time Bandits set

Actor Charlyne Yi has alleged that they were “physically assaulted” and “psychologically abused” on the set of Jemaine Clement, Iain Morris, and Taika Waititi’s Time Bandits TV show, according to their own social media. Writing on Instagram, the actor said they were targeted by an unnamed co-star on the series, who allegedly injured them during filming; Yi also accused the production (ultimately run by Paramount Television Studios) of failing to help them get medical treatment or receive workman’s comp in response to the injury.

Yi says they received a back injury while filming on the show, a television adaptation of Terry Gilliam’s 1981 movie. In their social media posts, Yi writes that they did not feel “safe, supported, or protected” in relation to the incident, and said they were “gaslit by coworkers, producers, and HR.” A later post went into more detail about the injury, accusing the unnamed co-star of intentionally putting pressure on their back until an injury developed, and then taunting Yi about the incident.

Per Deadline, Paramount TV Studios has issued a press statement in response to Yi’s allegations, saying that, “The safety of our cast and crew is very important to us, and we take all concerns that are raised to us very seriously. At the time of the complaint, Paramount Television Studios conducted a full investigation regarding allegations that were brought to our attention. While all investigations are confidential and we cannot comment on specifics, additional steps were taken to address concerns.” Sources quoted also discounted Yi’s allegations that the production failed to help them file workman’s compensation requests.

Clement, Morris, and Waititi’s Time Bandits show was announced back in 2019. The show was filmed, largely in Canada and New Zealand, in 2022 and 2023. Deadline notes that Yi ultimately “left” the production, but “sources say they received payment for all guaranteed episodes.”