Luke Grimes Says Montana Locals Targeted Him After Move

When Luke Grimes appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience recently, the chat veered into territory most Montanans already know a fair amount about.

Outsiders.

Luke Grimes, who was Kayce Dutton in Yellowstone, told Rogan that he ultimately moved to Montana after filming the show in the Bitterroot Valley. What began as a shooting location became a permanent relocation. He left Los Angeles and now lives with his family full-time in Montana.

And if you spend any time around the Bitterroot, you probably know what locals have known for a couple of years now. He supposedly lives somewhere near Victor. That rumor has been circulating the bars down there for some time.

Montana’s Tourist Problem, Explained

Grimes also mentioned how some locals have been rough on him during the podcast. He said a few situations where people would write "GO BACK" on cars with California plates. If that sounds familiar, it should be. Montana has a weird relationship with outsiders. On the one hand, tourism sustains many small towns. Glacier, Yellowstone, fishing guides, and rafting companies. And all of it relies on tourism.

Locals can be a bit protective about their backyard, though.

Montana, in a weird way, sometimes behaves very much like Hawaii. Tourists are welcome. But when you live here full-time, the temperature feels a little different. Especially if you may be part of the wave that sent housing prices into orbit. Go home, you "Howlie."

The Yellowstone Effect

Now, to be fair to Montanans, Rogan made a pretty obvious point during the interview. Yellowstone, the show, made Montana look like one giant postcard for city folk. So if you’re Luke Grimes, the face of that hit show, entering a bar somewhere in the Bitterroot, what’s gonna happen is that you might get some side eye from locals.

Grimes said in his interview with Rogan

I can’t go to bars there anymore because whatever that one idiot is is at the bar and he can’t wait to start a fight with me.

Grimes was also on Rogan’s show to promote his new series Marshals, another Montana-set story related to his Kayce Dutton character. So far, the reviews are … mixed. But the larger takeaway from the interview is something most people here already knew.

Montana can be friendly and fun to visit. Please don't be THAT guy starting fights or vandalizing rental cars at the trailhead. Grow up.