Ever since 2018, Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone took the world by storm. Set against the rugged backdrop of Montana, the show centered around the Dutton family, led by patriarch John Dutton, played by the 69-year-old star. The show blended elements of family drama, political intrigue, and the harsh realities of the American West, which brought it a huge fan following. However, the 4th season of the series ran into a few problems.
With Costner leaving the series in its final season, a lot had to be changed to make the ending perfect. His co-star, Luke Grimes, opened up about how the show and its creator, Taylor Sheridan, dealt with the absence of their lead star.
Luke Grimes discusses how Yellowstone handled Kevin Costner’s departure
After three amazing seasons of Yellowstone, Kevin Costner shocked his fans when he revealed that he would not be returning to the series in its 4th season. The revelation came as a surprise not only to his fans but to his castmates like Luke Grimes as well.
In an interview with Newsweek, the 40-year-old shed light on how the show managed to continue without Costner at its helm. After all, the actor had been a huge part of the show and was beloved by its fan following. Grimes was even asked about a rumored dispute with Taylor Sheridan that had caused the 69-year-old to leave.
I don’t have the bird’s-eye view of that whole situation, you know? All I know is what happened, happened, and the show rolled with the punches. We were able to finish the show and finish it in a way that I think is really gonna work for everybody, even in the midst of all that.
Grimes tried his best to focus on the series finale instead of the Costner drama that was taking over the media. But he could not help but state that the actor’s absence on set was definitely felt. However, he did not think it was his place to talk about what went down. The actor stated, “I just feel like it would be unfair of me to kind of talk about any of that.“
Although Grimes chose to stay out of it, both Sheridan and Costner opened up about why the 69-year-old ended up leaving the iconic show.
Everything to know about the Kevin Costner and Taylor Sheridan fiasco
Ahead of the final season of Yellowstone, a shadow was cast on the lead actor, Kevin Costner, and the show’s creator, Taylor Sheridan. Although both of them have chosen to keep most of the details out of the spotlight, it seemed as though something in the relationship ended up falling apart.
While neither Sheridan nor Costner publically spoke about their falling out, the creator ended up talking to THR about what had actually happened. He claimed that conflicting schedules had been a major reason for the actor leaving the show.
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 based on how the press or public seem to be reacting.
Sheridan explained that Costner had gotten the brunt of the situation. He stated, “He took a lot of this on the chin and I don’t know that anyone deserves it.” In fact, even the 69-year-old ended up defending himself in another interview with Deadline.
Costner stated, “I left exactly when they wanted, and it made it hard on me. I’ve never missed a day of work. I’ve never left before fulfilling my contractual obligations.” However, the tables ended up being turned on him.
Although the series had officially ended, Costner revealed that he was more than ready to come back for a spin-off or something else. After all, he had just finished his recent film, Horizon.