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Kevin Costner‘s Yellowstone departure came as a surprise to most of his costars — and not everyone has remained in touch with him since the drama.
The western drama, which premiered in 2018, followed the conflicts along the shared border of a large cattle ranch, the Broken Rock Indian reservation and land developers. Costner got Us invested in the show with his performance as the Dutton family patriarch but the drama didn’t just remain on screen.
Yellowstone was poised for a lengthy run on the Paramount Network but rumors about Costner’s future on the show put things to a halt. While Costner and series creator Taylor Sheridan denied reports of a feud, Paramount Network confirmed in May 2023 that Yellowstone would end for good at the end of season 5. The hits kept coming with Costner not returning for the second half of the final season.
“Kevin has been a big part of Yellowstone’s success,” a spokesperson for the network said in a statement at the time. “While we had hoped that we would continue working with him, unfortunately, we could not find a window that worked for him, all the other talent, and our production needs in order to move forward together. We respect that Kevin has prioritized his new film series and we wish him the best.”
Costner, who shifted his focus to directing and acting in Horizon: An American Saga, stood by his decision to move on.
“It wasn’t tough,” he told The Hollywood Reporter in June 2024. “It was a necessary decision to say, ‘Hey, OK, I don’t want to really talk about this anymore. It’s time to move on.’”
Costner continued: “I gave this thing five seasons. I was really happy to do it. And I don’t need drama. So, let’s just take that drama away, let’s take the guessing [away]. The fans have been way too good to me. And my obligation is to go on and continue to make things that mean something to them.”
Yellowstone subsequently ended later that year with Costner’s character getting killed off. Costner has yet to see how John’s story wrapped up but the finale paved the way for his former costars Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly to continue to tell stories in the Yellowstone universe.
While some have continued to praise Costner’s influence on the Yellowstone legacy, others have admitted to not remaining in touch with him. Keep scrolling for a guide to where each Yellowstone star stands with Costner:
Taylor Sheridan
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“My opinion of Kevin as an actor hasn’t altered,” Sheridan told The Hollywood Reporter in June 2023 when asked about speculation that he and Costner were on the outs. “His creation of John Dutton is symbolic and powerful — and I’ve never had an issue with Kevin that he and I couldn’t work out on the phone.”
Sheridan hinted that he was now on different terms with Costner.
“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,” he noted. “He took a lot of this on the chin and I don’t know that anyone deserves it. [Horizon] seems to be a great priority to him and he wants to shift focus. I sure hope [the movie is] worth it — and that it’s a good one.”
Related: Yellowstone‘s Offscreen Drama Through the Years: On-Set Tension and More
Yellowstone is known for its over-the-top plot lines and complicated family drama, but the show’s cast and crew has also been involved in plenty of offscreen controversy over the years. Since the Paramount Network series premiered in June 2018, actors along with cocreator Taylor Sheridan have fended off criticism that the show is written with […]
Kelly Reilly
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After Costner’s exit, Reilly called him the “soul of the show” while speaking to Postmedia in November 2024, “There is going to be a loss, but then you get to [see] what that loss is going to mean for all of us. That’s part of what the story is now and was always going to be.”
Cole Hauser
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Hauser didn’t address Costner’s departure but he has discussed his appreciation for Sheridan, telling People in November 2024, “Taylor [Sheridan’s] and my interest was to bring back an American man who is unapologetic, honest, loyal with strong values. I believe we have accomplished that together.”
He added: “And, you know, maybe there’ll be more [of the show]. Maybe they’re wrong. But if this is it, then it’s been one hell of a ride. … As long as Taylor Sheridan is writing, [I am interested in returning.]”
Wes Bentley
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In November 2024, Bentley was asked about Costner, to which he told Extra TV, “I just say about Kevin [Costner] that he’s such a huge part of the show and he leaves a big hole [behind with his exit]. We miss him and I wish him the best of luck.”
Luke Grimes
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Grimes has been the most forthcoming about the distance between him and Costner.
“I haven’t talked to him since,” he revealed during a Men’s Health MH Flex interview in December 2024 about Costner’s departure. “It’s not a case of any hard feelings or anything. It’s just, he’s Kevin Costner. He’s a big deal. I do have his phone number — I just don’t feel like it’s my place to reach out. He can reach out to me if he wants to.”
Grimes noted that he didn’t end on bad terms with Costner, adding, “None of us saw it coming the way it did, and obviously there was news about possible blowups behind the scenes or whatever. But just like in life, man, these things happen, they happen fast, and they’re not predictable.”
According to Grimes, it was noticeable when Costner was no longer a part of Yellowstone.
“He’s a big presence, man, guy’s an icon,” Grimes told People one month prior. “So not having him around to set felt a little different. But as always, I mean, we’re a big family now. It was just as special and hopefully, the fans will be able to connect with the story just as much.”
Related: Most Shocking — and Brutal — ‘Yellowstone‘ Deaths Throughout the Seasons
Paramount+ What has helped make Yellowstone such a cultural phenomenon is the show’s commitment to taking risks — especially with its onscreen deaths. The hit series, which premiered on Paramount in 2018, followed the fictional Dutton family, owners of the largest ranch in Montana. Many viewers came for Kevin Costner‘s portrayal of family patriarch John […]
Ian Bohen
Cam McLeod/Paramount Network
Bohen made it clear that the cast was focused on moving forward after Costner’s exit.
“I would use the analogy of a football team. If your quarterback gets hurt and he has to come out of the game, you have to play. So you gotta figure out another way to run the ball or throw the ball or just do different things because you can’t quit,” he exclusively told Us Weekly in November 2024. “So that’s what happened. We lost our quarterback and we still have to play the game.”
He added: “You get into a certain level of comfort and understanding and when it’s altered, it’s a little bit of a bump. But like anything, you just put your helmet on and you’re like, ‘I gotta go catch the next pass.’ So you can’t really dwell on it too much.”
Will Patton
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After playing Garrett Randall on Yellowstone, Patton continued to collaborate with Costner by booking the role of Owen Kittredge in Horizon: An American Saga. Patton is credited for all three movies, which continued to be released after the Yellowstone finale.
Danny Huston
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Huston, who brought Dan Jenkins to life on Yellowstone, is set to appear as Colonel Houghton in the second part of Horizon: An American Saga.
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Lainey Wilson
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Despite having a role in the fifth season, Wilson surprised many of Us when she admitted she never crossed paths with Costner, telling Fox News Digital in July 2023, “I hadn’t even [gotten] to meet Kevin Costner even on the set. But I’ve heard that he’s just an incredible dude.”
The country singer praised Sheridan’s vision for the show.
“I have a good feeling that Tayler Sheridan is such an incredible writer and storyteller that no matter which way it goes, he’s going to do it justice and he’s going to do it right,” she added. “And I think he’s got a lot of incredible ideas.”
