Taylor Sheridan breaks silence on Kevin Costner's 'Yellowstone' exit years after rumored feud

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: ‘Yellowstone’ creator Taylor Sheridan has finally opened up about the high-profile exit of Kevin Costner from the hit drama series, as he also addressed his rumored feud with the 71-year-old actor.

Costner worked in the hit series from its premiere in 2018 until his exit in the fifth season in 2024. He was seen as John Dutton in the show, but after he left, the show also ended prematurely.

At the time, it was reported that Costner left the hit Western because of his rumored feud with Sheridan, who had apparently developed a “God complex”.

Taylor Sheridan says 'Yellowstone' journey was initially meant for three seasons

Now, the director has cleared the air around it as he appeared on ‘The Bill Simmons Podcast’. Sheridan said, “He was only supposed to be in the first three seasons. That was in his contract. In my mind, that's when his youngest son takes over [on the show], but the network was so scared of not having Kevin be a part of it.”

“He was ready to go. He had other things he wanted to do, but he stayed on for another two seasons,” the director added.

Taylor Sheridan claims Kevin Costner wanted to do his own thing

Sheridan further explained that the show was such a hit that “there was even pressure from some of the cable companies wanting to put it in their deals, that they were going to get an X number of seasons of Yellowstone to re-up what this cable company is.”

However, despite these, a point came when Costner felt that it was time to leave.

“He's like, 'I gotta go do my own thing’. But we originally conceived it together that it was three seasons and then the baton is handed. ... Because we had to tread water for a bit there. I think it was pretty evident,” Sheridan explained.

Kevin Costner told his fans that 'Yellowstone' changed him

The 56-year-old writer’s comment came two years after Costner shared about his exit in June 2024.

In an Instagram post, the ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’ actor called ‘Yellowstone’ the “beloved series that I love,” as he continued, “I just realized that I'm not going to be able to continue Season 5b or into the future.”

“It was something that really changed me. I loved it, and I know you loved it. I just wanted to let you know that I won't be returning. I love the relationship we've been able to develop, and I'll see you at the movies,” Costner added.