Being a part of a television show as celebrated as Yellowstone is equivalent to winning the lottery for any actor. In light of this, the Yellowstone cast has mostly kept quiet following Kevin Costner’s unexpected departure during the second half of Season 5.
How do the remaining cast members feel about Costner’s exit from Paramount’s show? Did the cast feel abandoned by The Untouchables star because he left some storylines unfinished for his Yellowstone character (John Dutton)? Well, Costner’s former co-stars from the series are reportedly unhappy about his departure and the fallout from it, according to a report from Life & Style.
Kevin Costner’s Departure Sent Chills Through Yellowstone Set
Apart from his tumultuous divorce from Christine Baumgartner in 2023, Kevin Costner also experienced a rift with Taylor Sheridan, the man behind Yellowstone. The sixth season was canceled and Costner left before John Dutton, his character, could have a fitting farewell (via People).
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Sheridan discussed his conflicting emotions regarding Costner and the “disappointed” departure of the actor from the series:
“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. 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… I’m disappointed.”
Additionally, we learned from Life & Style that several members of the cast, such as Cole Hauser, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, and Wes Bentley, parted ways with the 69-year-old actor, as a result of his stormy departure. Another season was something the other cast was hoping for, but that opportunity was lost when Costner left the show. Meanwhile, the Oscar winner is also said to feel “betrayed” by his former castmates.
The insider shared:
“He used to hear from Cole and the rest of the gang — but they’ve cut him loose in the months since he walked away from the show. They’re making no effort to see him and don’t get excited when he calls. They’ve drifted away.”
The outlet pointed out that Costner had become used to hearing the praise from Yellowstone cast members during interviews. However, as the insider claimed, those days were long gone:
“After all that praise, you can imagine Kevin being a little hurt by their rejection. He’s getting the cold shoulder treatment. It’s a kick in the teeth!”
If this is true, it contrasts starkly with the adoration and appreciation Costner previously received from his co-stars.
Luke Grimes Addressed Kevin Costner’s Unexpected Exit From Yellowstone
Luke Grimes is reportedly not upset with Kevin Costner, his co-star on Yellowstone, for leaving the popular series, according to another report. In a recent interview with The Independent, Grimes, who plays John Dutton III’s son, discussed Costner’s exit:
“Whatever happened there is unfortunate if it’s changed anything about how the show was going to unfold.”
He continued by saying that he was aware that Costner was “busy” working on his “passion projects”, such as Horizon: An American Saga, which is set to release soon. The American Sniper actor, 40, further added:
“At a certain point, you gotta do what you gotta do, man. You gotta do what you love.”
Yellowstone’s fifth season is coming to an end, as Paramount revealed last year (see Deadline). Nevertheless, in an interview with ET last month, Costner hinted that he has not completely ruled out a comeback:
“I’d like to be able to do it but we haven’t been able to …I thought I was going to make seven [seasons] but right now we’re at five. So how it works out — I hope it does — but they’ve got a lot of different shows going on. Maybe it will.”
And it sounds like the door is still ajar for John Dutton to show up. Anyway, for Costner, who has been in the industry for decades and has built a reputation as a paragon of virtue, his co-stars’ alleged shift in attitude towards him must have been a blow.
Yellowstone is streaming on Peacock.
