At one point, Bella Hadid popping in for a cameo on Yellowstone might not have made much sense. How would one of the world’s top fashion models fit into television’s most epic western? Well, last night Hadid appeared in the series, and it actually made all the sense in the world. She’s dating a real-life cowboy, and increasingly devoting her time to her own horse skills. Who better, actually, to serve as a guest star?
In a very meta move, the supermodel played a character named Sadie who is the love interest of horse trainer Travis Wheatley (played by the show’s creator Taylor Sheridan). Kelly Reilly’s character Beth Dutton travels to Travis’s Texas ranch to oversee a horse auction he’s hosting to settle his dead father’s debts.
When Beth arrives, Hadid’s Sadie asks “You the masseuse?” to which Beth replies “Do I look like a fucking masseuse?” “A very expensive one,” Sadie quips.
Instead of selling horses, Travis is playing a game of strip poker with three women. That causes Beth to ask Sadie what she sees in Travis who she calls “the most arrogant man I’ve ever met—condescending, misogynistic, and 25 years older than you.” Sadie answers, “Have you ever seen him ride before?” Beth concedes “Okay, yeah, I get it.” Travis then tricks a group of buyers into purchasing a horse for $3 million dollars.
Hadid’s character reappears later in the episode during the auction dressed in full Western gear while showing off her horse-riding skills. Hadid’s boyfriend Adan Banuelos also makes a cameo in the episode as does Bart Johnson (Blake Lively’s brother-in-law) and the band Turnpike Troubadours.
Fans of the show were quick to react to the model’s cameo with both surprise and confusion. Many quickly pointed out the fact that Sheridan (who created the show and stars in it) cast Hadid as his character’s girlfriend. Of course, Hadid is dating an actual cowboy and has been an equestrian all her life, so she wasn’t short on expertise when it came to this on-screen appearance. She even rode a horse through the streets of New York earlier this year, where Banuelos discussed their relationship.
“If it wasn’t for horses, I’d have never met the love of my life,” Banuelos told W at the time, adding “I was just a lucky guy that said hi. I didn’t really know who I was saying hi to. I just knew, she’s gorgeous. And if I would’ve known, I probably would’ve stuttered my way right out it.”
In another twist, the cameo comes at the perfect time for some families. Finally, fashion fanatics and their Yellowstone-loving parents have something to talk about during the Holidays.
