You’ve seen him as the grizzled, steady heart of the bunkhouse. Forrie J. Smith basically is Lloyd Pierce. There’s no "acting" when he handles a horse or stares down a sunset; he’s been a cowboy since he was a kid in Montana duct-taping his own broken ribs to stay on a bronc. But when the cameras stop rolling on the Dutton Ranch, fans start digging. They want to know about the woman behind the man.
If you search for "Forrie J. Smith wife Cheryl Richardson," you’re going to hit a wall of confusion. Seriously. The internet has a weird way of mixing up two different men with almost the same name, and it’s created a bit of a digital mess.
The Case of the Two Forrys
Let’s clear this up right now because it's the biggest misconception out there. There are actually two actors named Forrie Smith.
First, there’s Forry Smith (often spelled with a 'y'), the Iowa-born actor and former football player known for the soap opera Santa Barbara. He is indeed married to an actress named Cheryl Richardson. They’ve been together since 1994.
Then there is our man, Forrie J. Smith, the Yellowstone star, real-life stuntman, and Montana native. While the names are nearly identical, their lives are worlds apart.
Honestly, it’s an easy mistake to make. Even high-end photo agencies have occasionally tagged the wrong guy in red carpet shots from the 90s. But if you’re looking for the "Yellowstone wife," the Cheryl Richardson story belongs to a different actor entirely.
Who Is the Real Lady in Forrie’s Life?
So, who is the woman standing by the side of the man who plays Lloyd? Forrie J. Smith is famously private, which is kinda refreshing in an age where everyone posts their breakfast on Instagram.
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What we do know is that Forrie has a son who is the spitting image of him: Forrest Smith. If you watched the Season 5 premiere of Yellowstone and thought, "Man, that kid playing young Lloyd looks exactly like the old one," it’s because he’s Forrie’s real-life son. They didn't need CGI or a high-budget casting call. They just needed the family DNA.
While Forrie keeps his domestic life mostly off-grid at his ranch in San Acacia, New Mexico, he was recently spotted at an Alan Jackson concert in Fort Worth. He wasn't alone. He was seen dancing with a woman the crowd and various reports identified as his "lucky lady" or fiancée. They looked deeply in love, swaying to "The Blues Man" while the jumbotron captured the moment.
Why the Mystery Matters
In a world of oversharing, Forrie’s silence on his personal life actually adds to his E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) as a "real" cowboy. He isn't a Hollywood creation. He’s a guy who grew up on a cattle ranch in Helena, Montana, where his mom was a barrel racer and his grandfather was a rodeo legend.
He doesn't need a publicist to craft a "family man" image. He lives it. When he talks about his life, he talks about:
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- Horses: His dog and his ranch are his sanctuary.
- Rodeo: He spent decades on the circuit before ever becoming a series regular.
- Philanthropy: He spends a huge chunk of his time working with the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and Shriners Children’s Hospital.
Basically, his "wife" or partner isn't a prop for his career. She’s part of a private world that involves raising cattle, training horses, and staying grounded while the rest of the world goes Yellowstone crazy.
Sorting Fact from Fiction
If you’re trying to track down the truth about Cheryl Richardson, here is the prose-style breakdown of the two different families to keep your facts straight:
The actor from Santa Barbara, Forry Smith, married Cheryl Richardson in 1994 and they have two children named Tanner and Olivia. That Forry was an 11th-round NFL draft pick for the Buffalo Bills.
Our Forrie J. Smith—the one with the iconic mustache and the "don't mess with me" glare—is the father of Forrest Smith. He lives in New Mexico, not Hollywood. He’s the guy who worked as a wrangler on Hell or High Water before Taylor Sheridan told him he had a part for him in a new show.
Life on the New Mexico Ranch
Forrie doesn't spend his off-time at gala dinners. He’s at his ranch. He’s been quoted saying that horses make him a better person and a better actor. That’s where the real "family life" happens.
It’s a gritty, authentic existence. He’s spoken about how the rodeo life prepared him for the "hurry up and wait" of film sets. It also taught him the value of a small, tight-knit circle. Whether he is officially married to the woman he was dancing with at the Alan Jackson concert or whether he prefers the term partner, one thing is clear: he’s found a lasting love that doesn't need a hashtag.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're a fan of Forrie J. Smith and want to support the man behind Lloyd, don't get hung up on the tabloid confusion. Instead, look at what he actually advocates for:
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- Check the Credits: When looking up his family, ensure you aren't looking at "Forry Smith" (the athlete/soap star). Look for the "J."
- Support His Causes: Forrie is a massive supporter of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. If you want to honor his work, that’s where his heart is.
- Watch the Son: Keep an eye out for Forrest Smith in future Yellowstone flashbacks or other Western projects. The lineage of cowboy-actors is alive and well in that family.
- Respect the Privacy: Recognize that for a man who lives by the "Cowboy Code," some things—like the details of his marriage or his home life—are sacred and meant to stay off the screen.
The "mystery" of Forrie J. Smith's wife isn't really a mystery at all. It's just a man choosing to live a real life in a fake world.