The following contains spoilers for “Yellowstone” season 5, episode 13, “Give the World Away.”
Taylor Sheridan’s “Yellowstone” has ruffled plenty of fan feathers as of late. John Dutton’s (Kevin Costner) season 5 death has been controversial for viewers, and several narrative choices have also caused us to question if “Yellowstone” has lost its way. Still, Sheridan himself probably doesn’t mind too much. As the creator of the most popular neo-Western around, the man is living the dream – and even gets to appear onscreen when he feels like it, thanks to his role as capable horse trainer Travis Wheatley. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the boisterous character is a bit of a winner in the “Yellowstone” universe, and now, the show has added a new layer to the “Travis Wheatley is a high roller” cake with the season 5 episode “Give the World Away.”
As Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) visits Travis for business and some obligatory snarking, she and the viewers are treated to various examples of Travis’ unconventional home life, from playing strip poker with multiple ladies to showing off his riding skills — and even single-handedly solving the Duttons’ immediate money troubles with some tactical horse trade. We also meet the character’s glamorous girlfriend Sadie, played by none other than Bella Hadid. Here’s where you may know her from.
Bella Hadid is a world-famous model with serious horse skills and acting aspirations
Bella Hadid is a surprisingly great fit for her cameo role on “Yellowstone,” considering her vast real-life experience with horses. She started riding when she was only three years old, and seriously aimed to become a professional, Olympic-level equestrian before health issues forced her to abandon this career path.Â
Hadid has been an extremely high-profile model since 2014, and is most notable for her work for Dior. Thanks to her catwalk and photoshoot fame, she’s amassed her share of screen credits as well. Hadid has also frequently appeared on talk shows, celebrity series like “Access Hollywood,” and fashion-adjacent programming as herself. You may have seen her in the occasional music video too, such as The Weeknd’s “In the Night.” On the reality show front, she appeared several times on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” between 2011 and 2016.
Though the majority of Hadid’s on-screen work has been of the “as herself” variety, “Yellowstone” isn’t her first acting gig. She made her acting debut in 2022 as Lena, an eccentric, “The Office”-obsessed character on the Emmy-nominated Hulu comedy-drama “Ramy.” The irony of portraying a character so disconnected from her public image wasn’t lost on Hadid. “People probably thought that my first acting job would be something super sensual and sexy,” she told GQ in 2022. Hadid has also expressed interest in acting in the past, and with roles in “Ramy” and “Yellowstone” now on her résumé, it’s probably safe to assume that we haven’t heard the last of her on this front.
New episodes of “Yellowstone” premiere Sundays on Paramount Network.