The Tragic Life Of Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond

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Hailing from Pawhuska, Oklahoma, Anne Marie "Ree" Drummond has invited the public to glimpse into her home, life, and recipes since 2006 via her blog/website, "The Pioneer Woman." She has been the Midwestern sweetheart of Food Network's cooking and lifestyle show by the same name since 2011. A New York Times bestselling author, Drummond extended her presence from online and television to entrepreneurship. She boasts lifestyle brands including cookware, home appliances, clothing, and pet products. Additional business ventures include a brick-and-mortar store, bakery, and restaurant, The Pioneer Woman Mercantile, which opened in her hometown in 2016. Despite all of Drummond's success, there have been some tragic moments as well.   

Though her relatability and authenticity have drawn her a notable 6.9 million Facebook followers and 4.4 million Instagram followers, nobody is left unscathed by the trials and tribulations of life. Drummond has experienced her fair share of grief, tragedy, and controversy over the years, and in several instances, she has commented on them publicly through her blog, books, and social media accounts. Although she is forthright with her fanbase, there is probably a lot you don't know about "The Pioneer Woman." 

Drummond shared in her 2011 book, "The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels," that she had an older brother with developmental disabilities, Michael Smith. Drummond's relationship with him was highlighted on Food Network as well. Smith first appeared alongside his sister on Season 3, Episode 8 of "The Pioneer Woman," in which he visits her family's ranch. Smith also starred in Season 7, Episode 4, which was aptly called "Cowboy Mike." 

Smith passed away on October 30, 2021, at age 54. He was a pillar in his hometown, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, where he won over his local community with friendliness and his special interest in first responders. He was a frequent visitor to the local ambulance and fire stations, where he would volunteer his services by cleaning and stocking ambulances. The Midwest City Firefighters Association recognized Smith in a memorial service as an honorary firefighter, writing on Facebook, "He touched so many lives at fire departments all across the state and brought joy to everyone with whom he interacted. He was one of the most kind-hearted people you could ever meet."

Though the circumstances of his passing were not made public, days after the devastating death of Ree Drummond's brother, she shared a touching Facebook tribute to him. "It isn't possible to sum up the life of someone as perfectly wonderful as my brother Michael, so right now I won't try," she shared in a post. "He was seventeen months older than me, my first friend and buddy, and I'm so grateful for over 50 years of photos and memories."

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When "The Pioneer Woman" stops filming, Drummond spends time with her family at their Oklahoma ranch. Ladd Drummond, Ree's husband, has deep familial roots in the state, going back to 1886. In 2023, David Grann's book, "Killers of the Flower Moon," which details the shady and often deadly business dealings between settlers and the Osage Nation, was adapted into film. This led to speculation on how the Food Network star's family ascertained their land. Drummond's family (through marriage) is estimated to own 9% of Osage County land once owned by the Osage tribe. 

In a 2022 episode of the Bloomberg podcast "In Trust," Rachel Adams-Heard investigated the Drummond family's involvement in business practices and manipulation tactics, which possibly cheated natives out of their oil-rich birthright land. She also interviewed prominent members of the Drummond family. "Killers of the Flower Moon," directed by Martin Scorsese, depicts the true story of the murders of Osage Nation members in the 1920s. This event, known as the "Reign of Terror," resulted in Osage County landowner William K. Hale being found guilty of criminal conspiracy to commit murder in order to obtain valuable land. The Drummond family purchased land from Hale in 1926, during his criminal trial.

The ethics of how the land was acquired remain polarizing. When Adams-Heard alleged that the Drummonds had benefitted from flawed systems, Gentner Drummond, who is now Attorney General of Oklahoma, countered, "Well, of course there's going to be hard feelings today, because the 20th-21st-century Osage looks around and goes, 'Why do we only own 6% of our original landholdings?'" Ree and Ladd Drummond have remained silent regarding their historical tie to the controversy. 

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In late December 2023, Drummond found herself at the center of a serious online misinformation frenzy. It was reported in several YouTube videos that Drummond had been pronounced dead after being taken off life support. The videos caught traction and began trending. Although the claim was false, it was unsettling to the star and her family. Fans and followers, unaware of so-called celebrity "death trends" on social media, expressed their condolences. The content of the videos with the salacious headlines discussed Drummond's supposed struggles with her health, not shocking revelations. 

Contrary to the rumors, Drummond is alive and kicking today. In fact, she went through a physical transformation in 2021 after losing 55 pounds. Her weight loss was achieved through a regimen of diet and exercise — cutting out sugar and alcohol, as well as portion management. "It would be better to say perspective change instead of lifestyle change," wrote The Pioneer Woman on her website in February 2022. "I experienced a seismic shift in my perspective of everything I've mentioned: Portion size, calories, daily movement, sitting vs. standing, protein percentage, muscle mass, wasted calories, and so on. I think about all of those things totally differently now."

Despite the past tragedies she has endured, with Drummond currently focusing on her health, she will surely continue to land on her feet — and lean into the support of her millions of fans. Her kind of celebrity is (as she famously writes), "Just not something you see every day."