Why Did Kevin Costner Leave Yellowstone? Inside His Departure Ahead of Season 5 Part 2

In a message to fans, Kevin Costner confirmed he will not be returning to ‘Yellowstone’ for season 5, adding that he will “see [us] in the movies”

On June 20, Oscar winner Kevin Costner confirmed that he will not be returning to Paramount’s neo-Western Yellowstone for the second half of season 5.

Costner, 69, who has played John Dutton III since the show’s inception, has been the subject of much speculation about his return to Yellowstone amid production delays. Now, the actor has finally confirmed his fate with the series.

In an Instagram post, Costner called Yellowstone a “beloved series” that he cherished, but after more than a year of working on Horizon: An American Saga, he “realized” that he “wouldn’t be able to continue with season 5 or in the future.”

Kevin Costner says he won’t be returning to Yellowstone in new video: ‘I love it’
Costner’s post comes more than a year after rumors of his departure first began circulating, and days after the actor spoke to PEOPLE in his cover story about feeling frustrated by a lack of support from production regarding media stories. Hours before the confirmation, Paramount announced that the second half of season 5 would premiere in November 2024, albeit without the franchise’s star.

Why is Kevin Costner leaving Yellowstone?
While Costner’s confirmed departure may be disheartening to fans, it comes after much speculation and reports from Costner himself about scheduling conflicts and production issues.

In May, Costner told Deadline that he left the set of Horizon to head to the set of Yellowstone — only to arrive to find that “there was no script.” The actor went on to explain how his efforts to juggle his schedule amid the busy schedule were later reported by the media.

“What you ended up reading is that I said, ‘Okay, I’m making my movie. If you want me to work a week because you want to kill me or whatever, I can give you a week,'” Costner told the outlet. “I didn’t really have that week to give them, but I said, I’ll do it. And then they [turned it] into, I just want to work a week.”