Biggest Problem Costner Had With Yellowstone? His Salary, Apparently

Rumors about Kevin Costner's possible departure from Yellowstone had been circulating for quite some time, and in May 2023, Paramount finally confirmed that the actor would quit the series, while the upcoming Part 2 of Season 5 would be the last chapter in the Dutton family's history.

Naturally, the announcement caused a lot of buzz and devastation for the fans. Costner's official reason for leaving the show was never revealed, and the franchise's creator Taylor Sheridan only said that he was disappointed with the star's decision. It's been speculated that Costner was willing to focus on his upcoming epic project Horizon, which prevented him from shooting Yellowstone.

But recently, the star finally broke silence about his departure from the hit Western series.

Costner Shared the Deets

Kevin Costner's wife Christine Baumgartner filed for divorce in May this year, and on Friday, September 1, the actor testified during a child support hearing for their three minor children. In his testimony, Costner revealed a few details about his reasons for leaving Yellowstone.

First, the actor confirmed that one of the reasons was his upcoming project Horizon, which will consist of four feature-length installments. Since Costner is directing, writing, producing, and starring in the movies, the production process could not run effectively while he was still involved in Yellowstone because Sheridan's show required him to be on set twice a year.

Nevertheless, the actor was able to find some time amidst his work on Horizon to star in Part 1 of Season 5, and will apparently reprise his role in Part 2. But Costner's commitment to his new project was not the main reason for leaving Yellowstone.

So What Was the Reason?

It turns out money was the main stumbling block that caused the John Dutton actor to leave.

'I couldn't help [the Yellowstone team] any more,' Costner said, noting that he was also ready for a sixth season but couldn't reach a satisfactory deal with the show's producers. 'We tried to negotiate, they offered me less money than previous seasons, there were issues with the creative…'

According to the actor, he was committed to the project until the very end and even tried to bury the hatchet after the negotiations failed, asking his representatives to name 'whatever number.' Sadly, it looks like the number was less than satisfactory because the star said he would 'probably go to court over' how much money he had received for Yellowstone's final episodes.

The release date for Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 has not been confirmed yet.

Source: People.