Taylor Sheridan Accused of Stealing ‘Yellowstone’ Idea From 2016 Series Pitch

According to the lawsuit filed by Virginia-based writer Lauren J. Salkin, Taylor Sheridan is accused of copyright infringement for allegedly stealing her idea for the television series "Yellowstone." Salkin claims that she submitted a pilot script and other materials titled "Sovereign Nation" to Sheridan's production company in 2016 and 2017, which were reviewed by Sheridan.

Despite Salkin's materials being reviewed by Sheridan, he received a green light for his own "Yellowstone" series from Paramount in June 2018. Salkin argues that the similarities between her work and "Yellowstone" are not coincidental and provides a breakdown of the main character similarities and plot points, including war over land and development.

She also highlights specific expressive choices, such as a tribal casino functioning as the political and development center, a signature confrontation in the tribal chairman's casino office, and the use of trust land and lease structure as mechanisms for territorial control. Salkin further alleges that actors Danny Huston and Gil Birmingham were named in her pitch deck, both of whom were later cast in "Yellowstone."

She also claims that a senior HBO scripted-television executive rejected Sheridan's "Yellowstone" pitch in spring 2017 due to its similarities to her work. Salkin seeks an injunction to prevent further infringement of her work and seeks unspecified damages, including profits from the "Yellowstone" franchise.