Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan accused of stealing writer’s idea in copyright lawsuit
The Independent • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Lauren J. Salkin has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit accusing Taylor Sheridan of stealing the idea for Yellowstone from her 2016 TV series pitch called Sovereign Nation, which focused on tribal governance and casino-driven economic power.
- Salkin alleges that Yellowstone shares specific elements with her pitch, including a tribal casino as a political power center, land development conflicts, and casting choices like actors Danny Huston and Gil Birmingham in parallel roles.
- The lawsuit names Taylor Sheridan, 101 Studios, Paramount Global, and NBCUniversal as defendants, seeking damages and an injunction to prevent future infringement.
- Salkin’s lawyers claim a senior HBO executive recognized similarities between Yellowstone and Sovereign Nation and rejected Sheridan’s show for that reason, supporting their claim of copying beyond genre similarities.
- Salkin’s attorney describes the case as a “David-versus-Goliath” fight, emphasizing her years of development and the massive commercial success of Yellowstone, which she alleges was stolen from her.
