All Of The Drama Surrounding Kevin Costner's Controversial Yellowstone Exit

Some "Yellowstone" actors looked familiar, though none more so than Kevin Costner, who has been in Hollywood for decades. Costner played John Dutton III, the powerful family patriarch and owner of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. He was an integral part of the show, which is why many fans were upset when he didn't return for the second installment of Season 5. 

There had been rumors going around that Costner wouldn't be making his return as John as early as 2023. However, many viewers were holding out hope that Costner would finish the series. Unfortunately, that didn't happen, and (spoiler alert!) Costner's character was killed off at the start of Season 5, part 2. The last episodes of the show then centered in large part around his death. Granted, show creator Taylor Sheridan hinted that John was always going to die at some point in the series, but Costner's exit sped things up.

So, why did Costner leave a hit show in the middle of a season? It sounds like it came down to an issue of timing and expectations, and through it all, there was plenty of talk about behind-the-scenes drama between Costner and Sheridan.

Rumors that Kevin Costner would be leaving "Yellowstone" first started floating around in early 2023. They stemmed from reports of scheduling issues and conflicts between Costner and the show's creator, Taylor Sheridan. Allegedly, the actor only wanted to spend a week filming his final scenes. However, Costner's team refuted that claim. "As everyone who knows anything about Kevin is well aware, he is incredibly passionate about the show and has always gone way above and beyond to ensure its success," one of his lawyers told Puck.

But rumors were only stoked by PaleyFest in April 2023. The annual festival celebrates all things TV, and Costner, Sheridan, and other major cast members were on the schedule. However, at the actual event, Costner and Sheridan (among others) were no-shows, leaving only smaller cast members at the event. This left some fans irritated, and it definitely didn't help quell any rumors of a conflict between Costner and Sheridan. However, Keith Cox, Paramount Network's president of development and production, was in attendance and tried to allay any fears by telling the audience that they were confident Costner would continue with the show. 

In June 2023, when Taylor Sheridan was asked about Kevin Costner's possible exit by The Hollywood Reporter, he spilled some tea about the drama between "Yellowstone" and, arguably, its biggest star. "I've never had an issue with Kevin that he and I couldn't work out on the phone," Sheridan said. "But once lawyers get involved, then people don't get to talk to each other and start saying things that aren't true and attempt to shift blame based on how the press or public seem to be reacting."

During the break in the middle of Season 5, Costner was working on "Horizon: American Saga." The four-film epic is an American Western taking place during the Civil War, with Costner as a star, producer, writer, and director. Some speculated that Costner was prioritizing this passion project over "Yellowstone," making it impossible to film the last episodes. There were even theories that he developed "Horizon" because he was tired of the Paramount show. 

But Costner doesn't see things that way. He said he'd actually moved "Horizon's" filming to accommodate the first half of the "Yellowstone" Season 5 schedule. The timing didn't work for the rest of Season 5, but Costner claimed he wasn't the one who was moving the goalposts.

In September 2023, 'Yellowstone' contract negotiations were discussed when Kevin Costner testified during a child support hearing as part of his messy divorce from Christine Baumgartner. The actor said that he'd planned to return for the final season, but ultimately couldn't move forward. "I couldn't help them anymore," Costner said. "We tried to negotiate, they offered me less money than previous seasons, there were issues with the creative..." (via People). Costner's team apparently requested $12 million for each part of season 5, which the network didn't go for. There was even talk from Costner about possibly suing the show over the failed contract negotiations.

Costner opened up more about the issues he had with the show during an interview with Deadline in May 2024. "If you know me well enough, I made 'Yellowstone' the first priority, and to insinuate anything else would be wrong," Costner told Deadline. He continued, claiming that he was not the one to initiate the disagreements and that he was disappointed no one from the show stuck up for him. 

Costner also noted that all the seasons of "Yellowstone" started and ended filming late, which made scheduling his other work a challenge. Interestingly, he also said he would be open to coming back if he saw a good script. 

By June 2024, Kevin Costner confirmed that he wouldn't be returning for part 2 of Season 5 via an Instagram video. He spoke kindly about the show, referring to it as a "beloved series," and he went on to say, "It was something that really changed me; I loved it, and I know you loved it." The show wrapped up without Costner, with the final episodes airing at the end of 2024. You would think that would be the end of it, but the drama kept rolling.

Luke Grimes played Kayce Dutton, the youngest son of Kevin Costner's character. In an interview with Esquire, which came out in December 2024, Grimes said: "To be really honest, there was a part of Kevin being gone that meant some of the conflict was gone." Grimes went on to say that while he wasn't placing blame, the final "Yellowstone" installment was the easiest to film. You could interpret Grimes' statement as a reference to the conflict being resolved between the characters, but it also seems like Grimes was suggesting things were less stressful without Costner on set.

With all the behind-the-scenes angst, it might be best that the show is done. "Yellowstone" fans still have plenty to watch with the ongoing spinoffs about the Dutton family. Additionally, there are still talks of a show focused on Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler, played by the iconic duo Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser. And for those who still want to see Costner on screen, there's always "Horizon."