Kelly Reilly won, or rather intimidated, the hearts of millions for her portrayal of Beth Dutton on the award-winning western series, “Yellowstone.” Since the news broke that the show would reach its conclusion after five seasons in December 2024, fans have been asking for more.
The show’s success has already led to two prequel series, “1883” and “1923,” that have each earned their share of notoriety. Viewers felt keen towards the relationship between Reilly’s portrayal of Beth and Cole Hauser’s Rip Wheeler, and when asked if she would be reprising the role, she couldn’t hold back the news.
Reilly posted a video to Instagram in December 2024 that thanked everyone who worked on and loved “Yellowstone,” but her followers weren’t quite ready to say goodbye. “So is the rumour in the UK that you and Rip are making a spin off season not true! Whatever happens I’ve loved every second of every episode in every season. You guys are all amazing!!” wrote one commenter, to which Reilly replied, “@kerrybroady true 🤍.” With the knowledge that we will be getting more Beth Dutton, it seems only right that we dive into the life of Kelly Reilly; without further adieu, here are some tragic things about Kelly Reilly.
She and her ex called off their engagement
Kelly Reilly met the love of her life in Kyle Baugher and they tied the knot in 2012, but the actress experienced some heartache before she met her Prince Charming. She met a fellow actor, Jonah Lotan, back in 2007 and the two were briefly engaged. Though Reilly is known to keep many aspects of her personal life hidden, when she was asked about him during a 2009 interview, she was at a loss for words. “I’d. … rather not talk about it. Only because I’m trying to protect myself and my life. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be. … but ah, it’s not, it’s a bit complicated,” she told The Independent.
It didn’t take long for Reilly to find love again, but her relationship with Baugher would prove difficult to navigate as well, as he resided in New York and she was in Sussex. During an interview with The Guardian in 2011, she gave a rare insight into her life behind the scenes. “I live between my house on the borders of Sussex and Surrey and New York, where my boyfriend lives,” she expressed. “I’m not saying any more about him except that he’s not an actor, not in the business. I spend a lot of time across the pond. I spend a lot of my time on aeroplanes. I’m probably going to do the move soon. I’d like my life to be in one place.” She and Baugher still split their time between the U.S. and the U.K. with their miniature schnauzer, because who wouldn’t want the best of both worlds?
The actress has her qualms with the entertainment industry
While Kelly Reilly is spending more time in the States, there is one city she chooses to avoid: Hollywood. During an interview with Town and Country in November 2024, Reilly detailed her quiet life, quite the opposite of her busting-down-doors alter-ego Beth Dutton. “I don’t participate in the noise in any way. I stay out of it. The only safe place for me is in the work—and then home with my husband. Very boring…”
She went on to express her apprehension towards Tinsel Town. “It can become a cyclone of b******* and fakeness, and I know I won’t find my worth in that.” Not only was she expressing her distaste for the entertainment industry as a whole, but rather defending her TV dad, Kevin Costner, after being killed off of “Yellowstone” during its final season.
Several reports cite various reasons for Costner’s exit, some referencing scheduling conflicts, others mentioning tension between him and the show’s creator, Taylor Sheridan. The mixed rumors left Costner feeling disappointed by those who didn’t shut them down. “I read all the stories, I was disappointed that nobody on their side. … ever stepped up to defend what it was I actually did for them,” he remarked to People in 2024.
She was grieving when she got the role of Beth Dutton
Beth Dutton represents a lot of things for different women; resilience, strength, and an all-around force to be reckoned with, enough to bring Kelly Reilly from heading down a dark path and strap on her cowboy boots instead.
During an interview with Drew Barrymore on her talk show, Reilly detailed the fateful moment that she was called for Beth. “I had gone through – just before we started filming and the year before I got that job – I had gone through some things in my own personal life. I was in a deep grief and I hadn’t figured out who I was beyond that and I was in a fog at that moment,” she expressed, continuing on how she was granted the role without so much as auditioning, “And then this character lands in my lap and I was like, ‘What am I going to do with this?’ She became this kind of life raft for me. So I got to hide in her for a minute while I came back to life and I found my own strength and my own happiness again.”
Reilly never delved into what exactly was causing her heartache, but she used her pain in her work and used Beth as an outlet to channel her emotions. She expressed how every time she would get into character she would be stepping into her “power,” which thus would translate into confidence and uplifting outside of the set. Sounds like a win-win to us!
Filming Yellowstone has been no easy feat
“Yellowstone” may make the American West look picturesque with the beautiful scenery, warm weather, and thriving wildlife at every corner, but the reality of filming was much less glamorous. Ahead of Season 5, the cast had to make a company move from their regular shooting spots in Montana and Utah to film in Texas. Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser sat down with CinemaBlend in November 2024 and detailed what it was like filming in the Lone Star State. “There’s a lot more snakes in Texas. We had a snake wrangler, and they found a bunch of them. All the big rattlesnakes and the tarantulas. Like, I’m from South London. Like, the most scary thing in England is a stinging nettle,” remarked Reilly, as Hauser added the excruciating heat they had to endure. “I’m in all black, black beaver [hat], black shirt, black chaps. I mean, it was 110. Unbelievable.”
It wasn’t only the harsh environment that the Yellowstone cast would face, but also the struggle of keeping themselves healthy while in such excruciating conditions. Reilly mentioned that she wasn’t filming on-site for as many days as Hauser, who disclosed the health issues much of the cast and crew faced. “You can’t even keep weight on either. I mean, everybody lost weight out there. We were riding and chasing cows. I mean, you’re just every day, trying to drink as much water as you can.” Beauty certainly is pain, but we sure are grateful the “Yellowstone” cast was willing to put their safety on the line for their final season.
Her reputation was plagued by false rumors
Beth Dutton and Kelly Reilly have one thing in common, being that they are both no-nonsense women, so when Reilly got wrongfully accused of homewrecking, she put the noise to rest immediately. Back in 2008, she was filming Guy Ritchie’s “Sherlock Holmes” when he and Madonna filed for divorce. Since Reilly was simply a woman working on Ritchie’s movie, rumors began circulating that they were having an affair which led to Madonna filing the papers.
Reilly sat down with The Guardian in 2011 ahead of “Sherlock Holmes 2,” and detailed what went down behind the scenes during the production of its prequel. “All that was ridiculous nonsense. It was the first time anything like that had ever happened to me and I didn’t cope with it very well at all. I sued! And I won because it was completely made up.” She continued to disclose that it wasn’t through any fault of Ritchie, but the invasion of space by the press was no joke. “Suddenly, there were press at my mum and dad’s house; it just felt surreal, like it was happening to somebody else. … It hurts people you love.”