Kevin Costner is sharing his version of the Yellowstone behind-the-scenes drama. The 69-year-old actor has played John Dutton on the series since its premiere in 2018. In an interview with Deadline published on May 13, 2024, he explained the "real truth" of what went on with the show.
"Well, I haven’t felt good about it the last year, what with the way they’ve talked about it. It wasn’t truthful. So now I’m talking about a little bit about what the real truth of it was," he said.
He went on to explain that he made a contract for seasons five, six, and seven. However, after two to three months of negotiation, the contract turned into only being for season 5A and 5B. Kevin also said that he was fitting his film “into the gaps” of the Yellowstone schedule, but the timing kept moving.
The actor explained that he lived up to the "truth of the contract" and claims that he never shot series 5B due to there being no script. He says the public have been "reading one version [of this behind-the-scenes drama] for a year and a half."
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"I left my movie to be on time for them for 5B. I left exactly when they wanted, and it made it hard on me. It turns out they didn’t have the scripts for 5B," he said. Kevin also added that four more days were still needed to complete eight episodes, that while he "felt bad that the audience didn't get 10" episodes, the lack of scripts made it impossible.
"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,'" he said. "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."
"I said, 'Look, if you want to end this elegantly, the best I can do is give you a week. And if you can figure out a storyline,'" he continued. "I’m usually working six or seven days per each, whatever they are. And they took that and a source on their side spun that into, well, he only wants to work a week for a whole season."
Kevin went on to explain that he's "never missed a day of work" and "never left before fulfilling" the obligations in his contract. In February 2023, Paramount said, “Kevin Costner is a big part of ‘Yellowstone’ and we hope that’s the case for a long time to come” after reports circulated that the actor had become less available to shoot the series.
Kevin, on the other hand, wasn't pleased with how the network and others involved in the show spoke about everything in the media. "They were silent and that bothered me in the world of how you do things. Why don’t you stick up for me?" he said, before adding that he "took a beating over these guys not speaking up" and "allowing crazy stories to come out."
He then confessed that he's open to coming back to the show. "But if the writing is there, I will be there too. They had first position."
