The world knows Sam Elliott as the ruggedly handsome man with a distinctive handlebar moustache, and a deep, resonant voice that commands attention in any role he performs.
What many people might not know about the star gunslinger is that his multitalented daughter, Cleo Rose, threatened to kill her mother–Elliott’s wife of almost 40 years–and stabbed her several times.
Cleo Rose Elliott was born into Hollywood royalty. Her mother is Katharine Ross, who earned a Golden Globe and Oscar nod for her performance in The Graduate, and her dad is the macho man Sam Elliott, who’s appeared in The Big Lebowski, 1883 and Tombstone. He’s also the iconic voice behind characters in The Good Dinosaur, Lady and the Tramp, and Barnyard.
In the 1960s, Elliott, 78, and Ross, 83, were first on set together in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, where the baritone-voiced actor appeared in a small role. Meanwhile, Ross had a starring role, appearing alongside Robert Redford and Paul Newman in the 1969 film that’s been ranked as one of the best westerns ever made.
Ross, the star of The Stepford Wives, was at the time in a relationship the film’s cinematographer, whom in the same year would become her third husband.
Still, Ross had Elliott’s full attention.
Speaking of his love for Ross, that was earlier unrequited, Elliott said, “My wife, Katharine Ross, and I both worked on Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, but I didn’t dare try to talk to her then. She was the leading lady. I was a shadow on the wall, a glorified extra in a bar scene.”
And then in 1978, Elliott and Ross had starring roles in the horror film The Legacy, where their intimate relationship onscreen started playing off screen.
Ross, who was in her fourth marriage, divorced in 1979, and married the star of The Ranch in 1984, becoming his first and only wife.
Months after the couple wed, they had Cleo Rose, who was born in September 1984.
Cleo, now 38, followed a more musical path and according to her Instagram, she’s the vocalist with a group called The Uncle Becky Band. In 2003, Cleo–who’s classically trained–released her first album, “No More Lies,” songs that are influenced by bands like Guns N’ Roses and Pink Floyd.
She is also a model and dabbled in acting with one role in a 2020 film, Murder for Dummies.
Acting, she said, is not what she wants to do. In 2008, Cleo told the Malibu Times, “My parents are totally supportive of this. They’re just happy I don’t want to be an actor.”
She only has a handful of photos on her Instagram with her mom and dad. In June, she wished her dad–who starred in four episodes of Grace and Frankie–a happy Father’s Day with adorable throwback photos.
And on Mother’s Day, she posted a sweet tribute to her mom that reads: “My Mommy, my best friend in the whole world. Thank you for being you, and for being the best mom I could ever ask for. No amount of gossip or speculation will ever erode our special bond. Happy Mother’s Day”
Only years before this loving Instagram post, Ross feared for life with her “violent” behaviors.
In 2011, Ross filed a restraining order against her then 26-year-old daughter, claiming that Cleo repeatedly stabbed her in the arm with scissors, and threatened to kill her.
According to the order, Cleo “verbally and emotionally abused [Ross] even as a little girl but became increasingly violent at age 12 or 13.”
Court documents reveal that on March 2, Cleo lost her temper and told Ross “I want to kill you.” She also kicked in a cupboard door in the kitchen and then followed her mom around the home.
Ross then explained that when she picked up the phone to call police, Cleo cut the phone line with scissors and threatened to stab her in the eye. Cleo instead used the weapon to stab her mom six times in the right arm, “using enough force to pierce my skin through my shirt and leave me with marks that are still visible today,” Ross said.
In a temporary restraining order issued March 8, Cleo was required to stay 100 yards away from Ross and the family home. But the order was dropped on March 30 when neither mother nor daughter appeared at the hearing.
Since then, very little has been said about the horrifying incident and Ross only shared that she is working on her relationship with Cleo. Also, Cleo has been seen around with her adorable parents, specifically in a family photo at the Academy Awards, where her dad received an Oscar nomination for his performance in A Star is Born.
The relationship between Cleo and Ross seems to have healed. Speaking about The Hero, the 2017 film where both her parents star, Cleo said: “They’re both so talented and it just makes me so proud of them.”
It’s quite frightening that a daughter would turn on her mother and it must have been an incredibly painful experience for both parents.
Unfortunately, we cannot answer why Cleo Rose Elliott stabbed her mom, nor do we know why she threatened her life. We’re happy that the family okay and hope the situation has been resolved!
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