Kevin Costner opens up on 'Yellowstone' finale and his alleged feud with Luke Grimes in latest interview

ASPEN, COLORADO: Kevin Costner has finally addressed talk surrounding his exit from 'Yellowstone' and the alleged rumors about a fallout with co-star Luke Grimes.

The 69-year-old Oscar winner — who brought patriarch John Dutton to life on the hit series — recently spoke out during an appearance in Aspen. But for those hoping for some drama, Costner kept things brief and surprisingly casual.

Kevin Costner opens up on 'Yellowstone' finale

Kevin Costner’s departure from 'Yellowstone' has been the subject of much chatter, especially after the jaw-dropping season five part two premiere. His character John Dutton met a shocking end as he was killed off in a faked suicide in the first few minutes of the episode.

When asked about the finale in an clip obtained by the Daily Mail, Costner seemed unbothered. “I’m not thinking about [the 'Yellowstone' finale],” he said, adding “I don’t think I’ve given it any thoughts. We’ll just let it go.”

His laissez-faire attitude toward the show’s ending might come as a surprise to fans who have watched him anchor the series since its inception. But his abrupt exit was the result of well-documented behind-the-scenes conflicts with showrunner Taylor Sheridan, reportedly over scheduling issues tied to Costner’s ambitious Horizon Western franchise.

Luke Grimes gets candid on Kevin Costner’s departure from the show

While Kevin Costner stayed tight-lipped about any personal animosity, Luke Grimes — who plays his onscreen son Kayce Dutton — hasn’t been as reserved. Grimes has been rather candid about the impact of Costner’s exit on the cast and crew.

“Hopefully, everyone can see that it was time,” Grimes said of Costner’s departure. “To be really honest, there was a part of Kevin being gone that meant some of the conflict was gone,” he added.

Grimes elaborated that the filming process became much smoother in Costner’s absence. “Obviously, it didn’t make it super fun to be around… Not pointing any fingers, but it was actually the easiest season we’ve filmed,” he said.

When asked by Men’s Health if he and Costner have stayed in touch since the finale, Grimes admitted they haven’t. “No, I haven’t talked to him since,” he told the outlet, adding “It’s not a case of any hard feelings or anything; it’s just, he’s Kevin Costner. He’s a big deal. I do have his phone number—I just don’t feel like it’s my place to reach out. He can reach out to me if he wants.”

John Dutton's shocking demise in 'Yellowstone'

Fans were left reeling after the season premiere revealed John Dutton’s death in a murder-for-hire plot disguised as suicide. The abruptness of his demise wasn't received well, with many fans feeling blindsided by how quickly the storyline unfolded.

Grimes acknowledged the reactions saying, “I think they feel sort of cheated. And what I would say to that is, I think we were all lucky to have Kevin on the show as long as we did.”

He told Men's Health that "none of us saw it coming the way it did, and obviously there was news about possible blowups behind the scenes or whatever. But just like in life, man, these things happen, they happen fast, and they're not predictable."

Grimes noted, "I lost my father a few years ago. It happened fast, and it was not the way that you would think that that would happen. In life, these things happen and then people have to start making decisions," adding, "And in our little 'Yellowstone' world, that helped ramp the show up into a boil."

Previously, Grimes reminded fans that killing off John Dutton was always part of the plan, albeit not in such a shocking fashion.

"It was always the plan for him to have to go away for the story to really ramp up, and that was the story. You lose a patriarch of the family. Can the kids do it on their own?" he told People.

Grimes said that "originally he was supposed to die much earlier. So, in a way, they got way more of John Dutton than they were going to originally get. I would keep that in mind."

He likened the unpredictability of the plot to real life saying, “If it happened in such a shocking, quick way, that’s how life works, right? I mean, when you lose people, it’s sometimes not how you planned and not when you think it’s going to be.”

Kevin Costner reflects on his 'Yellowstone' journey

For his part, Kevin Costner has a lot of gratitude for the time he spent on 'Yellowstone.' He acknowledged that the series had evolved far beyond what he originally signed up for.

“When it was first pitched to me by Taylor [Sheridan], it was one season and [like] a long movie, which [is] speaking my language… but ultimately, I think what happened was the studio didn’t want that,” Costner revealed in a June interview.

"And because he's such a prolific writer, he said, 'I can do that. I can make a series that goes on,'" he added.

The actor agreed to extend his involvement to three seasons and eventually stayed for five — cementing his role as the backbone of the neo-Western drama.

Despite the acrimonious ending, Costner had high praise for Taylor Sheridan’s writing.

“I liked the writing and really, really liked what Taylor was doing,” he said, adding “He understood the world of modern-day ranching and was able to create all this other type of drama inside it, but in an effective way.”