Taylor Sheridan Accused of Stealing 'Yellowstone' From 2016 Pitch
Variety • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Writer Lauren J. Salkin has filed a lawsuit accusing Taylor Sheridan and companies including 101 Studios, Paramount, and Elevate Entertainment of stealing her 2016 Western drama pitch, "Sovereign Nation," to create the series "Yellowstone."
- Salkin alleges she pitched her show to Sheridan’s management in 2016 but was told he was unavailable, while "Yellowstone" was greenlit shortly after, contradicting that claim.
- The lawsuit details specific plot elements and themes allegedly copied from Salkin’s work, such as a tribal casino as a political power center and particular land development conflicts.
- Salkin’s legal team also points out that actors she proposed for her project, Danny Huston and Gil Birmingham, were cast in similar roles in "Yellowstone," suggesting further parallels.
- The suit argues that the similarities go beyond genre conventions, asserting that timing, access, and distinctive narrative elements support a strong inference of copying.
