Actor Charlyne Yi alleges physical and psychological abuse on set of 'Time Bandits' TV show

Actor and comedian Charlyne Yi is alleging they were "physically assaulted multiple times" and "psychologically abused" by a fellow actor on the set of "Time Bandits," an upcoming Apple TV+ sci-fi series produced by Paramount Television Studios and directed and executive produced by Taika Waititi.

The series is a TV adaptation of Terry Gilliam's 1981 film of the same name, which, according to IMDb, "centers on a young boy who discovers a time-traveling portal in his bedroom."

Yi, 38, called out the show and referred to abuse by an unnamed actor in an Instagram post on May 7.

"I was not safe, supported or protected. I was physically assaulted multiple times by an actor, as well as psychologically abused," they said, claiming they were "gaslit by coworkers, producers, and HR" and "coerced to quit." The actor also said they were denied workers' compensation for a back injury and PTSD they claimed they sustained during filming for the series.

"Instead of asking 'why did it take them so long to speak up' why not ask 'what institutions and circumstances make it unsafe to?,'" they captioned the post.

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USA TODAY has reached out to Yi's rep for comment.

"The safety of our cast and crew is very important to us, and we take all concerns that are raised to us very seriously," Paramount Television Studios said in a statement to USA TODAY Thursday. "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."

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The incident happened 18 months ago, according to a person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly, and allegedly involved an actor running and bumping into Yi and picking them up during a scene in front of other cast and crew. Yi's claim could not be substantiated, the person claimed.

The source said that Yi's workers' compensation wasn't denied, and their claim is being actively handled by a third-party company. The person claimed that Yi was not "coerced" to quit but rather given the option to stay on the show or depart without their contract being enforced. The source also said that Yi received payment for all guaranteed episodes despite not appearing in all of them.

In a follow-up post, the "This is 40" actor wrote that "my abuser pressed his body on me from behind," but after trying to "shove him off" he continued to do so multiple times, causing pain in their lower back. On a different day, the unnamed actor entered their hair and makeup trailer to drop off a jar of honey as a "gift," which Yi took as an attempt to "publicly control his image." They said they later heard the actor joking about the incident and him being reported to HR.

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"I was stonewalled, told to be grateful for being on a high production set by a producer, told my back would be fine, minimizing the physical assaults I told them I was scared, could barely stand upright without being in chronic pain, and mentally was not doing well ..." they said. "A high production job, meaning big money and power that can dispose of you and sweep you under the rug, treating you inhumanely, proving their deep lack of humanity. Prioritizing people's careers and a fictional world than protecting those most marginalized and targeted."

In a post on Thursday, the "Knocked Up" actor said they were taking a social media break as they were getting "harassed for speaking up."

Yi has previously spoken out about abuse and harassment in Hollywood. In 2018, they recalled Marilyn Manson being abusive and using racist and sexist language on the set of "House."

In April 2021, Yi called out Seth Rogen for enabling James Franco on the set of 2017's "The Disaster Artist." They attempted to quit the film after learning of sexual misconduct allegations against Franco.