It’s Official! Kevin Costner Not Returning To Yellowstone Says Source

For a while now, the entertainment news headlines have been full of rumors that Kevin Costner is leaving Yellowstone after season 5. As filming of part 2 of the fifth season has still not begun, a source confirms that lead actor Kevin Costner is officially leaving the show. Read on to find out more about whether the actor who plays John Dutton is dropping from the cast.

Kevin Costner leaving Yellowstone after season 5

After rumors have swirled for weeks that Yellowstone lead actor Kevin Costner is leaving the show, it seems they might just be true. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, a source close to the modern Western series confirmed that Costner, 68, won’t be back after season 5.

Matthew Beloni told ET, “I think the negativity right now has got to a point where it is going to be very difficult for him [Costner] to come back to the show.”

Meanwhile, it was further reported that no update has been made on when the cast and crew will resume filming the second part of season 5 episodes. Moreover, the delays are causing confusion and frustration among the stars of the show. Other lead stars include Kelly Reilly, Luke Grimes, Cole Hauser, Wes Bentley, Gil Birmingham and Kelsey Asbille.

Costner’s disagreements over filming schedules

Various reports on Costner’s possible exit come among rumors of alleged drama between Costner and series co-creator, Taylor Sheridan. In February, Deadline reported that the John Dutton actor had disagreements over filming schedules, wanting to shoot for just 50 days to aid him in his other commitments.

However, when it came time to film part two of the latest season, the Dances With Wolves actor reportedly only wanted to spend one week on filming. This led to tensions with both the cast and the crew of Yellowstone.

At that time, a Paramount spokesperson quickly shut down the rumors, saying they have no news to report. The spokesperson added, “Kevin Costner is a big part of ‘Yellowstone,’ and we hope that’s the case for a long time to come.”

Meanwhile, cast member Dawn Olivieri, 42, was interviewed by the Daily Mail, where she hinted at Costner’s exit, adding:

Sometimes we have to own the fact that nothing is forever, and impermanence is the single thing we can count on, and that life is like that.

PaleyFest Yellowstone controversy

More speculation came when Sheridan, Costner and other lead Yellowstone cast members were absent from a PaleyFest in Hollywood. This led to disappointment from fans who had bought tickets just to see their Yellowstone heroes. At the time, Keith Cox, president of development and production at Paramount Network, was there and told the media that the network is “very confident Costner’s going to continue with our show.”

Readers can watch the interview between the source and Entertainment Tonight in the YouTube video below.