Virginia Writer Accuses Taylor Sheridan of Copying ‘Yellowstone’

A lawsuit filed in federal court alleges Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan stole the concept from Virginia journalist and screenwriter Lauren J. Salkin. Filed on Friday, the suit claims Sheridan used Salkin’s ideas for his successful series.

Sheridan, along with Paramount and NBCUniversal, were named as defendants. Neither Sheridan nor the companies responded to requests for comments as of Saturday.

Salkin claims she developed the concept for a series titled Sovereign Nation over a decade, which focused on tribal governance, casino-driven economic power, and contemporary land disputes. The project received copyright protection starting in 2010; a pilot script was copyrighted in 2016.

Allegedly, the project was sent to Sheridan’s management company, Elevate Entertainment, in February 2017. Following this, Salkin received an email stating, “Taylor thanks you very much for your interest. Unfortunately, he’s unavailable for TV projects.” Shortly thereafter, Paramount approved Sheridan’s Yellowstone, with its first episode airing on June 20, 2018.

The lawsuit details similarities between Sovereign Nation and Yellowstone, suggesting the latter incorporated expressive elements from Salkin’s work. The casting of actors such as Kevin Costner, Gil Birmingham, and Danny Huston are noted, as Birmingham and Huston were mentioned as casting ideas in Salkin’s pitch deck.

Furthermore, Salkin claims that subsequent Yellowstone spinoffs—1883, 1923, Marshalls, and Dutton Ranch—also draw from her developed material.

Copyright law does not protect the abstract idea of a Western, a land dispute, an Indian casino, or a powerful family — and that is not Plaintiff’s claim. The infringement alleged here lies in the copying of Salkin’s particular expressive choices and their coordinated selection and arrangement.

Salkin requests a jury trial, seeks an injunction against continued copyright infringement and demands unspecified damages.

Yellowstone aired for five seasons from 2018 to 2024. Sheridan, known for other series such as Tulsa King, Landman, and Mayor of Kingston, plans to relocate his production company from Paramount to NBCUniversal in 2029. Sheridan earned an Academy Award nomination in 2017 for his screenplay Hell or High Water.