Yellowstone Stars Whose Lives Have Been Filled With Tragedy

The following article mentions addiction and suicide.

For five gripping seasons, the small screen sensation that was "Yellowstone" kept audiences on the edge of their seats as they watched the resilient Dutton family take on deadly foes in an effort to protect their beloved Montana ranch. "Yellowstone," which boasts a cast of gorgeous and talented stars, was created by Hollywood heavy hitter Taylor Sheridan and has gone on to spawn a franchise of spinoffs and prequels, including but not limited to "Marshals" and "1923."

Lauded for its gripping storylines, powerhouse performances, and unforgettable action scenes, it's no wonder why "Yellowstone" has become a fan-favorite modern-day Western series. Commanding characters like Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler helped the series dominate the ratings, and the actors behind these memorable figures have experienced their fair share of hurdles throughout their own lives. From losing loved ones to dealing with addiction, a number of "Yellowstone" cast members have faced their own personal tragedies behind the scenes.

Known for playing Thomas Rainwater's stoic and unwaveringly loyal righthand man Mo, Mo Brings Plenty reprised the role for the spinoff series "Marshals." In 2024, Plenty's nephew and fellow "Yellowstone" franchise alum Cole Brings Plenty was found dead at 27 after going missing for five days. Amid his disappearance, Cole had been named as a suspect in a domestic violence case in Kansas and both his family, Plenty, and their castmates asked the public for help locating him.

Cole's body was tragically discovered in a rural Kansas area on April 5, 2024, and in a press release, Lawrence Police Department stated, "There is no indication of foul play." Two years after his untimely passing, Plenty has remained vocal about the lack of effort he believes the authorities have put into investigating the circumstances surrounding his death. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Plenty stated that he believed his nephew had been murdered and criticized the department's lack of effort.

"He was my nephew, but he was like a son to me. And for his murder to go uninvestigated, and for it to be written off as 'no foul play,' because they didn't want to invest anything into it? It's heartbreaking," he told the publication. "Because I saw his body, I saw the evidence that is there that someone caught him. So for them to say that there was nothing, I can't believe that. I still can't."  

Kelly Reilly won over audiences with her spirited performance as the complicated and tough-as-nails Beth Dutton, but before landing her breakthrough role the actor was dealing with significant personal struggles. During an appearance on "The Drew Barrymore Show," Reilly revealed that she had been going through an extremely difficult period in her life and was in the throes of grief when she was cast in "Yellowstone." She viewed the project as a much-needed escape and used the fiery character to find her own inner-strength.

"I had gone through some things in my own personal life. I was in a deep grief and I hadn't figured out who I was beyond that moment," she shared with Barrymore, before explaining how important Beth was to her during this dark and painful chapter. "And then this character lands in my lap, and I'm like 'What am I going to do with this?' And she became this sort of life-raft for me. So I got to sort of hide in her for a minute while I came back to life and found my own strength and happiness again."

Though Reilly never elaborated on what she was going through at that time, she nonetheless channeled her heartbreak into her tour de force performance as Beth, becoming the franchise's most beloved presence. The tragic period in Reilly's life led to the biggest opportunity of her career and introduced her to millions of fans, her portrayal leading to the upcoming spinoff "Dutton Ranch." 

Jennifer Landon, who played Teeter, the foul-mouthed ranch hand with a heart of gold, followed in her father's footsteps, but he sadly was not alive to see her in "Yellowstone." Her dad, TV legend Michael Landon, became a household name after he starred in the small screen classics "Bonanza" and "Little House on the Prairie." Jennifer was just 7 years old when he died in 1991 at the age of 54 from pancreatic cancer. Michael passed away three months after publicly announcing his diagnosis and believed that his smoking and drinking contributed to his terminal cancer.

Jennifer and her loved ones were left shattered and the sudden loss of the family patriarch deeply impacted her. "It is devastating beyond comprehension to lose a parent, especially at an early age," Jennifer told Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. "When he passed away, I suddenly saw things differently and questioned everything. Even today I question rules and structure. I can't say how much his death has affected me, but I know it's a significant part of the fabric of who I am."

The "Yellowstone" star and her brother Sean became advocates for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) and have joined the fight in raising awareness about the cancer, meeting with Congress to urge the importance of early screening. In 2021, Jennifer released a public service announcement for PanCAN encouraging the public to take action and test for the cancer, honoring her father and the legacy he left behind. 

"Yellowstone" fans loved to hate Wes Bentley's scheming black sheep of the family Jaimie Dutton, the talented actor first rising to prominence when he appeared in the 1999 Oscar-winning film "American Beauty." Bentley's performance earned him a BAFTA nomination and put him on Hollywood's map. Despite his massive professional success, Bentley found himself hitting rock bottom after he developed an addiction to cocaine and heroin that nearly cost him everything.

"That period was incredibly dark. I did really dangerous stuff," Bentley said to Men's Health. "I went downtown. I went and hung with really shady people. I wasn't trying to kill myself or anything. That was just me: Go far. Be the guy who went the furthest." In the same interview, Bentley detailed how his addictions resulted in him wracking up $400,000 of debt and led to his divorce from his wife Jennifer Quanz. The death of Bentley's close friend Heath Ledger proved to be a wake-up call for him.

Bentley and Ledger met during production of 2002's "The Four Feathers" and quickly hit it off. "He even begged me to get sober in an email. Last email, he was beggin' me. I didn't, at first, but later, getting sober, I'd think of that email all the time," he further told the publication. After nearly a decade of drug use, Bentley sought treatment in 2009 and has been clean ever since, the actor now happily married with two children. 

Cole Hauser delivered a commanding performance as the stoic and devoted Rip Wheeler, one half of a "Yellowstone" fan-favorite couple. Cole has multiple famous relatives, including his father, character actor Wings Hauser. Wings appeared in over 100 projects throughout his illustrious career including "Vice Squad" and "Tough Guys Don't Dance." Growing up, Cole was estranged from his father as his parents divorced when he was 2 years old.

Wings wasn't a part of his son's life until his teenage years, and Cole only learned who his father was when he was in grade school. "I saw him on TV, and I didn't know he was my dad," he told Cowboys & Indians. "I waited for the finish of the film, and I saw Wings Hauser [in the credits]. So, I went into my mom's room, and I said, 'Hey Mom. I just saw a guy on TV, his name's Wings Hauser.'"

Cole continued, "And she goes, 'Yeah, well, let's talk about that.' And so, she explained to me who he was. And that's how I found out about my dad." Cole and Wings reconnected when the latter moved out to Hollywood to pursue acting, the two living together for a year and building a relationship. Wings passed away in 2025 at 78 from natural causes, though Cole has yet to publicly address his death. 

Hollywood powerhouse Taylor Sheridan is the mastermind behind the smash hit "Yellowstone" franchise, and he also portrayed rodeo man Travis Wheatley in the series. Before Sheridan was breaking into the entertainment industry, he grew up in Fort Worth, Texas and when he was 8, his mother bought a sprawling ranch in Cranfills Gap where he learned how to cowboy. However, Sheridan's life took a tragic turn in 1991 when his parents divorced and his mother was forced to sell their beloved ranch after falling on hard times.

Sheridan was devastated about the ranch and didn't speak to his mother for a year out of anger over losing the beloved ranch. He then dropped out of college and eventually made his way to California, though his hurdles didn't end there. Sheridan struggled to find work and even lived out of his truck with his dog early on in his acting career.

"I was really broke, but made the choice not to quit and go home," he said to the Austin American-Statesman. "I also stayed with friends on a reservation north of L.A. They would let me go up there, and I would pitch a tent." Sheridan's breakthrough role came in 2008 when he was cast in "Sons of Anarchy," and he soon pivoted to working behind the camera and began to build his powerful TV empire. 

Before he was causing trouble for the Dutton clan as the cunning Roarke Morris in "Yellowstone," Josh Holloway was starring in one of the small screen's biggest sci-fi juggernauts: "Lost." The actor was living in Hawaii during the show's production and establishing himself as one of Hollywood's hottest stars when he was a victim of a terrifying home invasion. In 2005, Holloway and his wife, Yessica Kumala, were threatened and robbed at gunpoint by assailant Ruben Royce in their home.

Royce took the couple's wallets and stole their Mercedes-Benz before he was eventually apprehended, his three-week crime spree finally coming to an end. The frightening robbery garnered national attention as Holloway was not Royce's first victim; he had committed five home invasions throughout the year and terrorized the island. Royce pleaded guilty to 34 counts as part of his plea deal and was sentenced to 13 to 30 years behind bars for what Judge Karl Sakamoto called "a tidal wave of crime" (via Today).

In an appearance on "Good Morning America," Holloway reflected on the robbery and how challenging it was to work through the trauma. "I didn't realize how insidious that energy is and how long it actually takes to leave," he recounted during the sit-down. "But luckily we were not harmed and robberies happen every day to people I realize. The main thing was to protect my wife and not get shot." 

Singer-turned-actor Ryan Bingham portrayed the wayward ranch hand Walker in "Yellowstone," though his main passion has always been music. Bingham has released six studio albums and helped pen and perform the Grammy and Oscar-winning song "The Weary Kind" for the acclaimed 2009 drama "Crazy Heart." Prior to his accomplishments, he played at rodeos and honky-tonks early in his career, his mother giving him his very first guitar when he was 16.

Tragedy struck the star when he lost both his parents when they were in their late 40s, the couple struggling with alcohol and drug addiction all throughout their lives. Bingham's mother passed away in 2007 and his father shortly after his Oscar win. "My mother drank herself to death and my father shot himself," he told Texas Monthly. "There are so many questions when your parents die like that. I never felt like my parents were bad people or didn't love me, but it makes you wonder what it was they didn't want to stick around for."

Bingham channeled his grief into creative fuel and honored his parents through his music, and he also sought professional help to process losing them. "It took taking off to realize it wasn't the music that bummed me out. It was the music that was keeping me alive," he said. 

Danny Huston is the son of legendary filmmaker John Huston and the half-brother of fellow actor Anjelica Huston, and for the first two seasons of "Yellowstone" he portrayed adversary-turned-ally Dan Jenkins. In 2002, Danny, who was previously married to actor Virginia Madsen, tied the knot with English model Katie Jane Evans. That same year, they welcomed their daughter, Stella Huston.

In 2006, Danny and Evans they ultimately decided to separate. Evans' struggles with substance misuse was frequently cited as one of the reasons for their split. What's more, their lives apparently were not totally compatible. "They married too soon, they barely knew each other, and Katie didn't take to life with an actor as well as she thought she would," a source told the Daily Mail (via the Tampa Bay Times).

During their divorce proceedings, Evans tragically died by suicide in 2008, leaving her estranged husband Danny devastated. Following Evans' death, a friend of Danny's told the Daily Mail, "He is stunned. Harsh things sometimes are said during divorce proceedings but he and Katie had moved beyond that. This is a tragedy for everyone." When the San Antonio Express-News asked him about her passing a few years later, he simply stated, "That was hard."

Hugh Dillon played Donnie Haskell, Sheriff of Park County and Dutton family associate on "Yellowstone," and like fellow star Ryan Bingham, he has also had a successful career in the music industry. Dillon is the lead vocalist of the rock band Headstones and has had roles in shows including "Mayor of Kingstown," "Flashpoint," and "The Killing." All the while, he struggled with drug use and was forced to quit the band Headstones in 2003 due to his heroin addiction.

In an interview with The Men's List, Dillon opened up about his history of substance abuse during that turbulent period, referring to himself as a "garden variety alcoholic/addict" and describing his drug dependence as something that developed over a long period of time, adding, "it's really f***ing brutally hard to get out." His relapse served as a major wake-up call, as he realized how quickly his life could come to an end. "I suddenly had a relapse out West and had to quit the band. And with that relapse, I realized, 'I'm going to die,'" he told the publication.

"Then it's really life and death: you realize that you can't play anymore games. You've kind of gotten to the limit." Dillon was able to get clean and stay sober thanks to his rock solid support system, the musician citing his wife, Midori Fujiwara, and his manager, Bernie Breen, as his two biggest cheerleaders on his sobriety journey.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, or needs help with addiction issues, please contact the resources below:

• Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org
• Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357)