Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone Exit Confirmed After Season 5 Delay & BTS Turmoil

Yellowstone star Kevin Costner is officially exiting the hit series. The show, which was created by Taylor Sheridan, follows the Dutton family as they protect their land, the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, from various interested parties. Throughout the series, Costner’s character John Dutton III has had a central role as the patriarch of the family, but rumors swirling around a behind-the-scenes falling-out between Costner and Sheridan have led to speculation that he would not be returning after season 5, which is airing its second half later this year after a hiatus.

Today, ET Online officially confirmed that Costner will not be returning after Yellowstone season 5. It has also not yet been confirmed when the cast and crew will reunite to shoot the impending final six episodes of the season. It is currently unknown how this announcement will affect the shape of the end of the season, or its potential for a season 6 renewal.

Yellowstone’s Backstage Drama Explained

The source of the behind-the-scenes controversy is allegedly a disagreement between Costner and Sheridan about the star’s level of involvement as part of the Yellowstone

 cast in the final episodes of season 5. Costner’s involvement in another Western project, Horizon, has reportedly delayed the return of the series. The four-hour Western epic, which Costner is directing, is being shot in two parts.

Over the past few weeks, the signs have been increasingly pointing toward Costner severing ties with the series. One of the biggest signs of backstage turmoil was the fact that the Yellowstone panel at PaleyFest was abruptly canceled. It was also recently announced that Costner was resuming work on Horizon part two, leaving the future of the current season of Yellowstone in the air.

It remains to be seen if Yellowstone can come back from losing its biggest star. The series has a strong enough ensemble, including co-stars Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, and Cole Hauser, that it could conceivably keep going without him. However, it may come to pass that the series will end, leaning on its many spinoffs – which already include 1883 and 1923, with at least three more in development – to keep the story of the Dutton family going.