‘Yellowstone’ actor Forrie J. Smith kicked off plane for complaining about masked passenger

Forrie J. Smith has been grounded.

The Yellowstone actor known for playing veteran ranch hand Lloyd Pierce on the hit Western series said in an Instagram post Sunday that he was kicked off a plane for complaining about a masked passenger.

In a self-filmed video accompanied by the caption “You need to hear this story,” Smith, 65, said he “just got kicked off a plane” in Houston “because I told them I didn’t feel comfortable sitting next to somebody with a mask on.”

Indicating that he had consumed alcohol leading up to the encounter, Smith added, “Yeah, I’ve been drinking. I’ve been sitting in the airport for three hours. Yeah, I’m drinking, but I ain’t drunk. But they’ve thrown me off the plane because I’m drunk, because you people won’t stand up and tell everybody what bulls— this is. I just told them I didn’t feel comfortable sitting next to somebody that had to wear a mask, and I’m off the plane.”

In the video, which cuts off mid-sentence, Smith didn’t disclose what airline he was flying or provide any other details of the incident. A representative for the actor declined to comment further.

In the caption of his post, Smith included the hashtags “#cowboy,” “#country,” “#western,” “#yellowstone,” and “#yellowstonetv.” EW has reached out to a Yellowstone rep for comment.

Smith has previously been vocal about his stance against COVID-19 vaccination requirements. In 2022, he said he was unable to go to the Screen Actors Guild Awards because all attendees needed to show proof of vaccination.

In a since-deleted Instagram video, he apologized to his fans for not being at the ceremony. “I mean no offense to anyone — I’m not vaccinated, and it’s a requirement to be vaccinated,” he said. “I’m not vaccinated, I will not get vaccinated. I haven’t been vaccinated since I was a little kid. I don’t vaccinate my dogs, I don’t vaccinate my horses. I’ve never had a flu shot. I never will. I believe they compromise your immunities… it’s just my beliefs. I just don’t believe in that stuff.”

Meanwhile, the second half of the fifth and final season of Yellowstone is set to premiere in November. That won’t be the end of the saga, however, as Paramount is planning further spinoff series.

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