Skip to main content

Home Culture Culture Film & TV

Yellowstone’s Lilli Kay surprised by reaction to queer kiss scene

"We got to listen to some really good music and hang out and quietly make out in the background. Lesbians on the ranch!"

By Alastair James

Lilli Kay pictured in Netflix's Chambers discusses her Yellowstone kiss
Lilli Kay pictured in Netflix's Chambers discusses her Yellowstone kiss (Image: Netflix)

Star of Paramount+’s series Yellowstone, Lilli Kay, has been surprised by the reaction to her queer make-out scene.

Kay plays Clara Brewer in the American Western drama that follows the Dutton family on their ranch. The series is led by Kevin Costner and also stars Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, and Wes Bentley.

In season five’s mid-season finale, Brewer can be seen kissing someone, leading audience members to celebrate the “lesbians on the ranch”.

Kay recently explained how the scene came about while speaking to Deadline.

“We were in our Covid protocol. It was written that Clara is making out with someone in the background behind John [Costner] and Summer [Piper Perabo]. And we were trying to figure out who was easy and comfortable [to cast] who was also in the testing cycle.

“My partner, Juli Kocemba, was there with me in Montana so they said, ‘oh, let’s just have you guys make out in the background.’ My partner’s non-binary, we were like, ‘well it’s a gender fluid make out in the background.’ We thought, nobody’s gonna make a big a big deal about it. And then a lot of people made a very big deal about it.”

Kay goes on to say that she found the reaction to the scene funny.

“It was a fun little evening. We got to listen to some really good music and hang out and quietly make out in the background. Lesbians on the ranch!”

What makes the scene slightly awkward is that Kay’s father was also directing Kay’s mum (Perabo) as she kissed Costner.

While the scene has been celebrated by some, it’s been labelled by someas an example being ‘woke’.

Yellowstone is streaming on Paramount+