The Most Surprising Quotes From Kevin Costner About ‘Yellowstone’ and His Departure

It was recently announced that Kevin Costner would not be returning as John Dutton in the hit TV show Yellowstone. Fans of the show were devastated to hear this, which led many people to wonder why this was happening and what Cosner had to say about it. Which is why we have rounded up the most surprising  Kevin Costner quotes about Yellowstone, including whether he was met with backlash from the cast and crew.

Why Kevin Costner is leaving ‘Yellowstone’

It was recently announced that Costner wouldn’t return to the Yellowstone world because of scheduling conflicts and production issues.

In a recent interview, the actor recalled  showing up to the Yellowstone set one day only to realize “there was no script.”

“I left my movie [Horizon: An American Saga] to be on time for them for 5B [of Yellowstone]. I left exactly when they wanted, and it made it hard on me. It turns out they didn’t have the scripts for 5B. They needed four more days just to complete the first eight episodes. I left early to give them what they needed to have a complete eight, and I felt bad that the audience didn’t get 10. They didn’t have the scripts for anything else. So, what you read in the end was that I said, ‘Well, look, I’m doing my movie. If you want me to work a week because you want to kill me or whatever else, I can give you a week.’ I really didn’t have that week to give them, but I said I’ll do that. And then they [spun that] into, I only wanted to work a week.”

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Kevin Costner on how he feels about not returning to ‘Yellowstone’

After playing the role of John Dutton for so long, leaving him behind can be a bit sad. The actor expanded on this by saying, “It [Yellowstone] was something that really changed me. I loved it and I know you loved it. And I just wanted to let you know that I won't be returning. I love the relationship that we've been able to develop, and I'll see you at the movies.”

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Kevin Costner on if his new movie caused a conflict with the ‘Yellowstone’ cast and crew

A large reason why Costner  won't be returning to the show is because of his new movie Horizon: An American Saga — which releases on June 28. The film is another Western, and people have speculated that Costner  decided to produce it  because he was tired of the work on  Yellowstone. However, Costner has gone on record saying that’s not true.

“I didn’t do Horizon because I was tired of doing Yellowstone. That’s a bullsh-t story. I didn’t do Horizon to compete with Yellowstone. This is something I’ve had for a long time. Taylor [Sheridan] read that script three years earlier when he was contemplating other writers [for Yellowstone]. I said, well, you can look at what John [Baird] and I did, not that I think I’m qualified. I think you write Yellowstone beautifully. So, he read that and knew what the thing was about,” Costner said.

“It’s just that simple: Paramount and 101 Studios mismanaged this. They had me for five, six, and seven. I agreed to do it. And then they steadily began changing their format. And what about the year that went missing? That 14 months?”

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Kevin Costner on the start of ‘Yellowstone’

Costner’s departure from Yellowstone might seem shocking, but it has actually been in conversation for a while.

"When it was first pitched to me by Taylor, 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 told PEOPLE.

Then, the studio kept adding on more seasons, with Costner recalling that he told production studios, “‘I’ll do it for three seasons' and I ended up doing it for five."

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Kevin Costner on how the ‘Yellowstone’ cast and crew have treated him

With the news of his departure coming to light a lot of people have been wondering how the Yellowstone cast and crew have been treating him.  According to Costner, it hasn't gone well.

“I don’t want to get down in the gutter with the Yellowstone thing but what I’m telling you is straight up. I have taken a beating from those f---ing guys and I know a lot of times where it’s coming from. I just elected not to get into that,” the actor told Deadline.

He did add though, that “I made Yellowstone the first priority, and to insinuate anything else would be wrong.”

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