Yellowstone's Luke Grimes Faces Backlash From Montana Locals After Move

The actor says the influx of outsiders has not been welcomed by the community.

Mar. 16, 2026 at 1:34pm

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Actor Luke Grimes, who plays Kayce Dutton on the hit TV series Yellowstone, decided to move from Los Angeles to Montana's Bitterroot Valley in 2020. However, Grimes says the local community has not been happy about the influx of outsiders moving to the area due to the show's popularity, with some residents even leaving hostile messages on the cars of visitors from California.

Why it matters

Yellowstone has brought a surge of new residents to Montana, straining the local community and leading to tensions between longtime residents and newcomers. Grimes' experience highlights the challenges faced by rural communities dealing with rapid growth and an influx of outsiders.

The details

According to Grimes, when his friends from California visited him in Montana and went on a hike, someone wrote "go back" in the dust on their car with California license plates. Grimes says the locals are "super weird" about outsiders moving to the area and he doesn't even tell people the exact location of where he lives to avoid any potential confrontations.

  • Grimes moved from Los Angeles to Montana's Bitterroot Valley in 2020.
  • Yellowstone has been airing for 5 seasons on CBS since its debut.

The players

Luke Grimes

The actor who plays Kayce Dutton on the TV series Yellowstone, who moved from Los Angeles to Montana in 2020.

Bianca Rodrigues Grimes

Luke Grimes' wife, who moved with him from Los Angeles to Montana.

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What they’re saying

“It's true [Yellowstone made a lot of people move]. They're not happy about it. The valley that I live in, we had some people come visit us, our friends from California, drove out. We went on a hike. And we were in their car. They had Cali plates. We get off the hike and someone had written 'go back' in the dust on their car.”

— Luke Grimes, Actor

“Like people are super weird about it. So, I don't tell anyone like exactly where I'm at, because they would get really mad at me.”

— Luke Grimes, Actor

The takeaway

Yellowstone's massive popularity has led to an influx of new residents moving to Montana, straining the local community and leading to tensions between longtime residents and outsiders. Grimes' experience highlights the challenges faced by rural communities dealing with rapid growth and an influx of newcomers, and the importance of finding ways for longtime residents and new arrivals to coexist peacefully.