Fan-favorite Beth Dutton is strong-willed and loyal to her family. Those who watch Yellowstone know that Beth struggles with the fact that she is infertile.
In season three, fans are made aware that Beth is unable to have children. She worries that this will affect her relationship with Rip as the two are romantically involved.
It is not until a conversation with her brother Jamie that Beth finds out the reason why she can’t bear children.
The truth pushes her already rocky relationship with Jamie to the breaking point.
Why Can’t Beth Get Pregnant?
Beth Dutton is unable to have kids because she was sterilized when having an abortion.
In the episode “Cowboys and Dreamers,” there is a flashback where Beth reaches out to Jamie for help when she finds out she is pregnant.
Jamie takes her to an abortion clinic where the only way to perform an abortion is through sterilization, which Beth did not know.
Beth was just 15 years old when she found out she was pregnant with Rip’s child. Too scared to tell her father or Rip, she seeks help from Jamie.
Beth had two options: go to Planned Parenthood or the free clinic at the Indian reservation. Worried that word might get out if she goes to Planned Parenthood and risk her family’s name, she chooses the Indian reservation clinic.
Upon getting to the clinic, Jamie is told that the only way to perform an abortion at the location is through sterilization. Jamie agrees to this without Beth ever knowing.
Sadly, this is based on actual history where Native American women were sterilized without their consent.
Upon finding out the truth about why she can’t have children, her hatred towards Jamie only grows deeper. Beth is heartbroken that she cannot have any biological kids of her own.
Does Beth Tell Rip She Can’t Have Kids?
Though she is scared it will change things between her and Rip, Beth does tell him that she is unable to have children. Rip assures her that the fact she can’t have children doesn’t change how he feels about her.
While Beth tells Rip she is not able to have children, she does not go into detail. Beth does not mention that she was pregnant with Rip’s baby and that Jamie agreed to her sterilization without her knowledge.
The fact that Beth can’t have children does not change her relationship with Rip. However, Rip not knowing the whole truth could potentially pose a problem, as it is unlikely he could forgive Jamie for what happened.