Inside Luke Grimes’ Life in Montana After His Controversial Move from Yellowstone

Yellowstone‘s Luke Grimes made the leap to Montana—yet why did some locals react negatively?

Grimes gained recognition for his role as Kayce Dutton on Yellowstone, which aired from 2018 to 2024. He reprised this character for the CBS spinoff, Marshals, several years after relocating from Los Angeles to the Bitterroot Valley in Montana.

The actor and his wife, Bianca Rodrigues Grimes,, made their move in 2020 after Grimes fell in love with the region following his time on Yellowstone. Their choice to start anew was surprisingly met with mixed reactions from the community.

“I was heading there three or four months each year, and whenever filming wrapped up and I returned here, it felt like I was leaving home instead of going back home,” Grimes shared with Fox News Digital in February. “It was a gradual change over a few years, and ultimately my wife and I fell in love with the place and decided to settle down there.”

However, Grimes noted that some locals in Montana haven’t been as accommodating toward him and his family, who welcomed a son in 2024.

“I can’t go to bars there anymore because there’s always that one guy looking to pick a fight with me,” he remarked on the Joe Rogan Experience in March. “It’s like a win-win for him—he gets to sue me or something. But for me, it’s a lose-lose situation.”

Grimes elaborated: “In my valley, some friends from California came to visit us. We went hiking, and while in their car with California plates, we returned to find ‘go back’ written in the dust on their vehicle. People are incredibly territorial about it. So, I don’t disclose my exact location because it could really upset some folks.”

At the same time, Grimes spoke on the criticism regarding Kayce not being seen as a Dutton deserving of his own spinoff, Marshals.

“I’m my own worst critic,” Grimes expressed to Entertainment Weekly in February. “I thought, ‘If you were to survey who fans want to see in a spinoff, I doubt Kayce would top that list. There are surely other characters people are more eager to watch.’”

He used this as inspiration, stating, “That sparked motivation in me. It had to be excellent. If it wasn’t, I’d rather not do it. We worked hard to ensure original Yellowstone fans would have something to connect with.”

He added, “But even for those who haven’t watched Yellowstone, we aimed for this show to stand on its own. I believe we achieved that to the best of our abilities.”