Dances With Wolves Star Arrested, Accused Of Running Sex Cult

Nathan Lee Chasing Horse, who played Smiles A Lot in Dances with Wolves, has been arrested for sexual assault.

By Zack Zagranis | Published

dances with wolves
Nathan Lee Chasing Horse in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007)

Dances with Wolves actor Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse, better known as Nathan Chasing Horse, was arrested yesterday for the alleged sexual assault of several underage indigenous women. AP News reports that Chasing Horse has allegedly been carrying out the assaults over a span of 20 years on victims as young as 13 years old.

Police apprehended Nathan at the Northern Las Vegas home where the actor shared with five wives. The former Kevin Costner directed Dances with Wolves star was arrested after a month-long investigation in which authorities alleged that he was the leader of a cult known as The Circle. The investigation was a result of a concentrated effort by state lawmakers across the US to crack down on crimes against indigenous women.

Nathan Chasing Horse started his acting career with the 1990 civil war epic Dances with Wolves in the role of Smiles A Lot. After his blockbuster debut, Chasing Horse continued to star in a handful of westerns. The actor was likely typecast for his native heritage in a genre known for its “Cowboys and Indians” aesthetic.

dances with wolves
Nathan Lee Chasing Horse in Dances with Wolves (1990)

There have been several allegations of sexual assault levied against Nathan over the years. At least six, the first one a decade after the Oscar-winning Dances with Wolves in 2000. The allegations span several states, including South Dakota, Montana, and Nevada — the actor’s home for more than a decade.

The warrant for Chasing Horse was over 50 pages long. It alleged that, among other things, the former actor used his status as a medicine man to prey upon indigenous beliefs and gain access to young women. Nathan allegedly used his supposed ability to commune with higher powers as a way to sexually assault several of his alleged victims.

Along with his arrest in Nevada, the 50-page warrant also details an incident where Nathan Chasing Horse was banished in 2015 from the Fort Peck Reservation in Montana amidst allegations of human trafficking.

Some of the young women the former Dances with Wolves star is accused of assaulting eventually became his wives. One young woman was only 16 when she became a wife to Chasing Horse. Another was allegedly given to him as a “gift” when she was only 15 years old.

Some of the specific charges against Nathan Chasing Horse include sex trafficking, sexual assault of a child younger than 16, and child abuse. In addition to those atrocities, Nathan is accused of recording several of his alleged sexual assaults as well as the prostitution of his wives to other men in exchange for money.

As of now, Chasing Horse has remained silent when it comes to his alleged crimes and has not hired a lawyer to make any comments for him.