Who is Lauren Salkin? Writer accused Taylor Sheridan of stealing her ideas for Yellowstone

Lauren Salkin, an entertainment journalist and TV writer, has filed a lawsuit against Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, who is fifty-six years old, claiming he stole her ideas for the hit series. Sheridan's management company, Elevate Entertainment and Paramount, NBC Universal are also named as defendants in the suit. As per a report shared by The Hollywood Reporter, which viewed the complaint, Lauren Salkin alleges she submitted multiple resources like the pilot script, show bible, and pitch deck for a show called Sovereign Nation to Elevate in late 2016 and early 2017.

The show is described in the complaint as a

"dramatic television series centered on tribal governance, casino-driven economic power and a modern war over land and development."

Lauren Salkin also claims that she spent more than ten years developing the project. She further alleges that on Feb. 1, 2017, Elevate Entertainment informed her that Taylor Sheridan was

"unavailable for TV projects."

As per the same report shared by The Hollywood Reporter, Salkin's lawsuit which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California also stated that,

"Within months, Paramount greenlit Sheridan's Yellowstone."

As per her IMDb profile, Lauren Salkin began her career at Newsweek, later working with the Associated Press, Sipa Press, Zuma Press, and National Geographic, which sponsored her alongside Olympus in 2006 to teach photography to Afghan women in Kabul. She later joined Dick Clark Productions, handling international distribution and sales.

Lauren Salkin claims Yellowstone copied specific elements from her Sovereign Nation pitch:

Yellowstone first aired on the Paramount Network on June 20, 2018, before it found a second home streaming on Peacock. Salkin's lawsuit isn't built around broad strokes. Her complaint, viewed by The Hollywood Reporter, zeroes in on what she calls

"specific expressive choices already embodied in Salkin's materials."

The similarities she points to are specific. Among them, a tribal casino sitting at the center of political and economic power, a pivotal confrontation inside a tribal chairman's office over land expansion, and recurring master-plan imagery woven throughout the storytelling. She also flags the use of trust land, no zoning restrictions and a ninety-nine-year lease structure as mechanisms she had already developed in her own pitch.

Salkin goes further, alleging that Yellowstone even reflected casting recommendations she had proposed for key roles in Sovereign Nation. Her complaint is also careful about what it is and isn't claiming. As per the filing,

"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,"

It adds,

"The infringement alleged here lies in the copying of Salkin's particular expressive choices and their coordinated selection and arrangement."

Lauren Salkin's attorney vows to fight for justice:

The suit also notes that a senior HBO scripted television executive, who had previously reviewed materials for Sovereign Nation, later told Lauren Salkin he recognized similarities between her project and Yellowstone. As per the complaint, despite the show's enormous success, Lauren Salkin claims she has "received nothing" from a series alleged to have "generated billions of dollars" for the defendants.

Yellowstone, which stars Kelly Reilly and has since spawned numerous spinoffs, remains one of television's biggest success stories. Lauren Salkin is seeking damages and profits tied to the alleged copyright infringement, alongside injunctive relief to prevent any future infringement.

Lauren Salkin's attorney, Paul B. Lackey, spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the case, calling it

"a classic David-versus-Goliath situation,"

Paul B. Lackey also added that

"She spent years putting together the specific and multi-layered framework for a story that has become the biggest streaming success of all time."

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Lackey further told The Hollywood Reporter,

"She has watched the vast commercial success of this story that was stolen from her and decided that enough was enough. We will do everything in our power to get her justice."

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