Taylor Sheridan Is Being Sued for Allegedly Stealing the Idea for ‘Yellowstone’

Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan—along with Paramount and NBCUniversal—is facing a major lawsuit. A writer claims the hit show wasn't his idea at all, but hers.

According to a federal lawsuit first reported by TMZ, entertainment journalist and TV writer Lauren J. Salkin says she pitched a very similar series called Sovereign Nation to Sheridan’s production company back in 2016 and 2017.

At the time, she received a rejection letter thanking her for the pitch but stating that Sheridan was unavailable to work on TV projects. However, just a few months later, Paramount officially greenlit Sheridan’s Yellowstone.

Why Salkin Says It’s a Copycat

Salkin claims the similarities between Yellowstone and her project are way too close to be pure luck.

While you can't copyright broad ideas—like a powerful family fighting over land or a storyline involving a tribal casino—Salkin argues that Sheridan copied very specific creative choices, plot points, and character details directly from her script.

Her lawsuit highlights a few key details:

• The Cast: Salkin’s original pitch specifically recommended actors Danny Huston and Gil Birmingham. Both actors went on to play key roles in Yellowstone.
• The HBO Connection: Salkin claims a top HBO executive met with her about Sovereign Nation after turning down Sheridan's Yellowstone pitch because it was too similar to her work.

High Stakes for a Massive Hit

This lawsuit is a big deal because of just how massive Yellowstone has become.

Since premiering in 2018, the Kevin Costner-led series has turned into a billion-dollar empire for Paramount. It ran for five successful seasons and spawned several popular spin-offs, including 1883, 1923, and more to come.

Sheridan and Paramount have not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit.