‘Yellowstone’ cast addresses Kevin Costner’s exit before final episodes: ‘When he goes away, that changes things’

It was his final ride.

“Yellowstone” star Kevin Costner left the show after the first half of the fifth and final season.

As the second half of Season 5 is about to premiere (Sunday, Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. on Paramount), the stars of the show reflect on his exit.

“He’s such a big part of this show. I feel so lucky to have been able to work with him,” Wes Bentley told The Post. 

The “American Beauty” actor added, “And I learned a lot from him as an actor. But he’s also a storyteller, a director, and he’s also a really interesting guy who knows a lot about history. We had a lot of great talks. So, I’m just grateful that I ever got to work with him.”

The hit cowboy drama, which premiered in 2018 and has attracted over 17 million viewers, follows the Dutton family, owners of the largest ranch in Montana, including patriarch John (Costner) and his adult children Kayce (Luke Grimes), Jamie (Wes Bentley), Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Beth’s husband, Rip (Cole Hauser).

Costner’s exit came amid a storm of behind the scenes drama, and rumors of a feud with creator Taylor Sheridan. 

In May 2023, news broke that Costner would not return to “Yellowstone” after Season 5. (This was before Paramount said that Season 5 would be the show’s last.) That same month, it was announced that the show would end with Season 5, leading to speculation that the show was ending in part because Costner was leaving.

“My last conversation with Kevin was that he had this passion project he wanted to direct,” Sheridan told the Hollywood Reporter in June, referring to Costner’s movie “Horizon.”

Sheridan’s account made it sound like Costner was prioritizing “Horizon” over “Yellowstone.”

However, Costner had a different story.

In May 2024, Costner told Deadline that “Yellowstone” had “first position” in his list of priorities. “I didn’t do ‘Horizon’ because I was tired of doing ‘Yellowstone.’ That’s a bulls – – t story. I didn’t do ‘Horizon’ to compete with ‘Yellowstone.’ This [project] is something I’ve had a long time,” he said.

Costner added that ongoing speculation about what was happening behind the scenes “wasn’t truthful.”

The “Dances with Wolves” star said that his movie “Horizon” was supposed to “fit into the gaps” between filming “Yellowstone,” but, he said, “They just kept moving their gaps.”

“I was straight up with [Taylor Sheridan], and he said what we would do, and I believed him,” said Costner. “And we didn’t get there.”

In June, Costner also addressed his fans in an Instagram video.

“Thinking about Yellowstone, that beloved series that I love, that I know you love. I just realized that I’m not going to be able to continue, season five or into the future,” the Oscar winner said.

“I loved it and I know you loved it. I just wanted to let you know that I won’t be returning,” he shared.

Grimes told The Post about Costner’s exit, “When you lose a presence that big…it carries that weight in the story, too. You know, he’s John Dutton. He’s the patriarch. He’s the movie star on our set… So, of course, when he goes away, that changes things,” he said.

He added, “But art imitates life and it’s going to feel that way in the story, too. I think in return, you use that weight and make it something very compelling for the story.”

Ian Bohen, who plays Ryan, one of the ranch workers on “Yellowstone,” told The Post, “As they say, the show must go on. You must do your part, and the rest of it works itself out.”

Denim Richards, who plays another ranch worker, Colby, said that between the set drama about Costner leaving, and the long wait between the first and second halves of Season 5, he wasn’t even sure the second half of Season 5 would happen.

“For a lot of us, we thought maybe 18 months ago that that was probably going to be the end.”

But after Costner departed the show, “it’s the next man up, right?” he said.

“He’s been a juggernaut for over four decades,” Richards said about Costner. “I’ve had the opportunity to learn so much from him. Of course, there’s going to be some gaps that you feel. But I think that [creator Taylor Sheridan] has written characters that have so much depth, and they’ve been able to fill in those gaps.”

Richards acknowledged that there has been “a lot of speculation in the last year,” about what was going on with Costner.

“But I mean, it’s entertainment, right? Things change so much…at a certain point, you’ve just got to show up and do your job, because there’s so many people that are making other decisions that are outside of our scope.”

Wendy Moniz, who plays John’s friend and sometimes love interest, Senator Lynelle Perry, told The Post, “I’m feeling a little sad, a little bittersweet, but, it feels like it’s time,” about the show ending.

Filming the last stretch of episodes without Costner “was a little bit different,but mostly because we’re such a strong ensemble, and it’s so much about the storytelling of the family.”

John Emmet Tracy, who plays Ellis Steele – one of the characters who wants to turn the Dutton Ranch into an airport – said about Costner, “Clearly, he’s a Hollywood legend. And I think his involvement in the show was a huge part in making the show legendary. But, I would just say people are going to enjoy the way that this series is going, at the end.”