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Screenwriter Claims Yellowstone Stole Her Work
24 Aug
Summary
- Writer alleges Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone mirrors her decade-old script.
- Lawsuit claims specific expressive choices were copied from her "Sovereign Nation" pitch.
- Suit seeks damages and an injunction against continued alleged infringement.
A lawsuit has been filed against Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, alleging that the popular drama series is a direct copy of a script developed over more than a decade. The writer, Lauren J. Salkin, claims her show, "Sovereign Nation," which focuses on tribal governance and casino-driven economic power, was pitched to Sheridan's representatives between 2016 and 2017.
Salkin's complaint details that her "Sovereign Nation" script, series bible, and pitch deck were submitted to Sheridan's team. She states they responded that Sheridan was unavailable for TV projects, with Paramount greenlighting "Yellowstone" mere months later. The suit asserts that objective comparisons reveal coordinated design elements, including casino-centered political power and land-development conflicts.
Further allegations suggest an HBO executive reviewed Salkin's pitch and later informed her that HBO had rejected a "Yellowstone" pitch from Sheridan due to its similarities to her work. Salkin's lawyers claim she even suggested actors Danny Huston and Gil Birmingham, who later appeared in "Yellowstone," in her pitch deck.
The lawsuit, filed against Sheridan, 101 Studios, Paramount Global, and others, seeks an injunction to halt the use of her alleged work, along with unspecified damages and profits. Salkin is requesting a jury trial.
