Writer Accuses Taylor Sheridan of Stealing ‘Yellowstone’ Idea

A lawsuit filed in federal court alleges that Taylor Sheridan, the creator of the popular series ‘Yellowstone’, plagiarized the idea from journalist and screenwriter Lauren J. Salkin. Salkin claims to have spent over a decade developing a series titled ‘Sovereign Nation’. This project focuses on tribal governance, economic power from casinos, and modern land conflicts, with copyrights dating back to 2010 and a pilot script in 2016.

Salkin reportedly submitted her work to Elevate Entertainment, Sheridan’s management company, in February 2017. An email response from the company mentioned Sheridan’s unavailability for TV projects at that time. Surprisingly, soon after, Paramount decided to move forward with Sheridan’s ‘Yellowstone’, which first aired on June 20, 2018.

The lawsuit outlines various similarities between ‘Sovereign Nation’ and ‘Yellowstone’. It argues that ‘Yellowstone’ went beyond being another traditional Western by incorporating specific elements from Salkin’s work. Actors like Gil Birmingham and Danny Huston, initially considered for Salkin’s project, were eventually cast in ‘Yellowstone’. Salkin’s lawsuit also claims that spinoffs such as ‘1883’, ‘1923’, ‘Marshalls’, and ‘Dutton Ranch’ stem from her original work.

The lawsuit emphasizes, ‘Copyright law does not protect abstract concepts like a Western, land dispute, or Indian casino. The issue is the copying of specific expressive choices and their arrangement.’

The lawsuit demands a jury trial, an injunction to prevent further copyright infringement, and unspecified damages. ‘Yellowstone’ completed five seasons, running from 2018 to 2024. Sheridan, recognized for works like ‘Tulsa King’, ‘Landman’, and ‘Mayor of Kingston’, is slated to transition his production company from Paramount to NBCUniversal in 2029. Notably, Sheridan was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2017 for the film ‘Hell or High Water’.