Yellowstone Controversy: A Timeline of the Kevin Costner Situation
The controversy surrounding Yellowstone continues to evolve following lead star Kevin Costner’s recent statements about the series.
Costner has portrayed ranch owner John Dutton on the popular US series since its debut in 2018. While Taylor Sheridan’s drama has sparked mixed reviews—focusing on the lives of American ranchers and land developers near the fictional Broken Rock Indian Reservation—it has become one of the most successful television shows in recent years.
However, things took a turn in February when Costner unexpectedly announced his departure from the show, despite several seasons still to come. This led creator Sheridan to conclude the series in May, much earlier than originally planned.
Last week, Costner addressed his reasons for leaving, and his claims contradicted Sheridan’s perspective on the matter.
Below is a timeline tracing the journey of Yellowstone, an unlikely hit that now faces challenges due to behind-the-scenes conflicts.
June 20, 2018: Yellowstone, starring Kevin Costner, premieres on the Paramount Network and quickly becomes one of the most-watched shows in the country. Creator Taylor Sheridan commented on the show’s success, saying, “People couldn’t understand how a linear cable channel that no one can even find suddenly had the biggest show on television. Because it has cowboys, and this is supposed to be a dead genre, right? Of course, that’s not what the show is really about; that’s just the sugar on the pill.”
February 2021: Sheridan signs a lucrative five-year deal with ViacomCBS and MTV Entertainment Group to develop new projects, including spin-offs of Yellowstone.
December 2021: The Paramount Network launches the Yellowstone prequel series 1883, starring Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and Sam Elliott. The series achieves the largest debut for a cable show in over six years and helps boost the network’s streaming service, Paramount+. However, Sheridan’s involvement with the spin-off delays the release of Yellowstone Season 5.
August 2022: Costner begins work on his passion project, Horizon: An American Saga, a four-part Western epic with each installment running approximately three hours. Production on each film is expected to take up to six months.
