Over the course of five seasons, Taylor Sheridan’s western drama “Yellowstone” chronicled the story of the Dutton family as they defended their Montana ranch against their enemies. While the Paramount series captured audiences far and wide over its seven-year run, much of the ensemble cast, including leading man Kevin Costner, couldn’t escape rumors of behind-the-scenes issues.
Though John Dutton faces a number of setbacks on the show, real-life troubles also brewed over the years. Delays in production fueled gossip about the supposed troubles between the “Dances with Wolves” star and the show’s creator Sheridan, but there have been a number of other controversies the stars of the series experienced before the show finally went off the air in 2024. From one cast member’s controversial remarks that came back to bite them to another’s mysterious background and how an organization condemned the show, here are the scandals that will always haunt the cast of “Yellowstone.”
Luke Grimes faced controversy after he quit True Blood
There’s a reason why many of the “Yellowstone” actors look familiar, as many of the stars had previously been in beloved movies and shows. For example, Luke Grimes, who played Kayce Dutton, had a recurring role on “Brothers & Sisters” before he was cast as James on Season 6 of “True Blood,” back in 2013, but his departure from the popular vampire series was riddled with controversy.
It was hard not to notice when James was recast in 2014, as Grimes was replaced by Nathan Parsons. HBO originally explained the actor’s departure by saying he left because of “the creative direction of the character” (via BuzzFeed). However, given that James’ relationship with Lafayette, a gay vampire, seemed to be leading toward romance at the beginning of Season 7, it became evident that Grimes didn’t want to portray a gay character. Although his publicist Craig Schneider told BuzzFeed at the time, “It had nothing to do with storylines, which he had not been privy to at the time of that posting,” the late Nelsan Ellis, who played Lafayette, had a differing opinion.
During a July 2014 conversation with Vulture, the actor spoke on the Grimes controversy. “We’re all sitting there going, ‘You quit your job because … really?’ I’m just … I’m over him,” Ellis said. “You quit your job because you don’t want to play a gay part? … You just made a statement, and it has ripple effects.”
Taylor Sheridan tried to backtrack on his remarks about Trump
There’s no question that Taylor Sheridan has found incredible success in Hollywood, having created one of the most popular shows of the 2010s and 2020s. But before “Yellowstone” had even aired, the writer, producer, and series creator ran the risk of alienating a major portion of his audience. While promoting his movie “Wind River” in 2017, he made some comments about Donald Trump, who was serving his first term at the time. “Can we just impeach that motherf***er right now? Like what are we — I don’t understand … It’s just, it’s so embarrassing,” Sheridan remarked.
The statement probably wouldn’t have come back around if not for a journalist for The Atlantic, Bryan Schutmaat, who interviewed Sheridan in November 2022. During their conversation, the writer was asked about the remarks he made about Trump, to which he replied, “I don’t recall that.” Schutmaat pressed on, but Sheridan still wouldn’t own up to it. “I had just wrapped a movie,” he said. “I was mad about everything. Twelve-hour press junkets with no food or water will do that to you.”
After the journalist’s conversation with the series creator, representatives of Paramount got in touch with him and insisted Sheridan’s comments about Trump be removed from the article entirely. It could be argued, seeing as how “Yellowstone” has been described as a Republican-friendly show, there were concerns that their conservative viewers would take offense to Sheridan’s criticism of the president.
Kelsey Asbille’s heritage was called into question
Just like her “Yellowstone” character Monica, Kelsey Asbille is so glamorous in real life. Unfortunately, while her talent as an actor has been highly acclaimed, her portrayal of a Native American woman has been called into question. The casting of non-Indigenous people to portray these roles has been an issue in Hollywood for years, including Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Tonto in “The Lone Ranger” and Taylor Lautner in “Twilight.”
Taylor Sheridan’s previous project, “Wind River,” was another western that starred several Indigenous actors, and he made it a point to cast those with Native American heritage. “I wasn’t going to sit here and tell a story about very real issues and cast people to portray characters in that world suffering those burdens and not have some connection,” he told the New York Times in August 2017. Among the cast was Asbille, who says she is Taiwanese, British, and Cherokee, told the publication she felt an “intense connection” to her Indigenous character, adding, “This role, more than any other, it’s in my blood.”
Shortly after this interview was published, legendary actor and advocate Sonny Skyhawk made an inquiry to the Cherokee tribe’s Tribal Enrollment Office, which revealed they had no record of Asbille and couldn’t verify whether she was of Cherokee descent at all. The “Yellowstone” star has yet to address this controversy as of this publication, which has caused quite a stir over the limited representation of Native Americans on screen.
PETA called out Yellowstone over animal treatment on the show
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has a long history of calling out Hollywood’s controversial use of animals. The non-profit organization has called for the boycott of movies like “Jackass Forever,” “A Dog’s Purpose,” and 2018’s “Alpha” over claims of cruelty to animals used in the productions. In October 2018, after the first season of “Yellowstone,” a whistleblower reported on-set animal mistreatment to PETA and there were calls to boycott the Paramount series.
During the interview, the whistleblower explained that, as part of a scene on the show that depicted dead cows laying in a field, it became clear that the carcasses were real. “[A]s the sun came up and the temperature increased, we knew right away that it was not a prop. We knew that it was real,” they said, adding that some of the cows’ bodies had been “mutilated.” According to the report, the smell of the cow struck the crew, and flies began circling it. “It’s terribly heartbreaking,” they added.
Sam Elliott’s criticism of The Power of the Dog came across as homophobic
In 2021, New Zealand filmmaker Jane Campion adapted Thomas Savage’s western novel “The Power of the Dog” into a movie, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, and Jesse Plemons. While there were a number of differences between the novel and film, some took issue with Campion’s choice to make it clear that the relationship between two characters was homosexual, whereas it’s more speculative in Savage’s version. Sam Elliot, also known as Shea Brennan on “Yellowstone,” made his disdain for the movie clear while speaking on Marc Maron’s podcast “WTF” in February 2022.
“What the f*** does this woman from down there… know about the American west?” the actor questioned. Elliott also called “The Power of the Dog” a “piece of s***” with “allusions of homosexuality.” The rant, understandably, resulted in the “Yellowstone” star finding himself in hot water.
Campion responded to Elliott’s criticism when speaking with Deadline a couple months later, saying, “I think it’s really unfortunate and sad for him because he’s really hit the trifecta of misogyny and xenophobia and homophobia.” Although he’s since apologized for offending people with his criticism, Elliott’s words will unfortunately exist forever on the internet.
Forrie J. Smith has some controversial opinions on vaccinations
Although America had already been seeing more and more polarizing views over the years, the COVID-19 pandemic brought another issue to light: vaccinations. While the majority of Americans believe in the value of vaccinations, the anti-vax movement saw many individuals taking a controversial stance against inoculations for religious reasons, concerns over adverse side effects, and other reasons. This issue unfortunately became more widespread in 2020, which also saw many refusing to wear masks.
Forrie J. Smith, who portrayed ranch hand Lloyd Pierce on “Yellowstone,” has made his anti-vaccination and anti-mask stance known several times. Back in February 2022, the actor acknowledged his absence from the Screen Actors Guild Awards, for which “Yellowstone” was nominated, telling his Instagram followers he couldn’t attend because of the vaccination policy at the event. “I’m not vaccinated, I will not get vaccinated,” Smith said (via Variety). “I haven’t been vaccinated since I was a little kid. … I’ve never had a flu shot. I never will. I believe they compromise your immunities.”
Smith again made headlines over his contentious beliefs in March 2024, as he claimed in an Instagram video that he’d been kicked off a plane because he didn’t want to sit next to someone who was wearing a mask. “But they threw me off the plane because I’m drunk. Because you people won’t stand up and tell everybody what bulls*** this is,” Smith said.