Inside Yellowstone’s Behind-the-Scenes Drama: From Kevin Costner’s Exit to Legal Battles
Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Luke Grimes, Kevin Costner, Taylor Sheridan, Kelsey Asbille and Dave Annable attend “Yellowstone” premiere at Paramount Pictures on June 11, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. Photo:Frazer Harrison/Getty
Taylor Sheridan’s neo-Western series Yellowstone is about as dramatic as they come — both on and off the screen.
Set in rural Montana, Yellowstone follows the Duttons, a multigenerational ranching family fighting to maintain their way of life as they face constant battles with land developers, Native American reservations, and their own flesh and blood. The show has been a hit for Paramount Network since its debut in 2018, garnering widespread critical acclaim and a loyal fanbase. But behind the scenes, the drama has been just as intense.
Feuds, legal battles and dramatic exits have changed the future of the show. In February 2023, rumors began swirling that Kevin Costner, who plays Yellowstone patriarch John Dutton, was leaving the show to focus on his multi-part Western movie series Horizon: An American Saga.
Deadline reported that the actor’s divided attention and limited shooting schedule were “a source of frustration” for Sheridan. When an agreement between the two parties couldn’t be reached, the network announced that the second half of season 5 would be the show’s final installment. It’s scheduled to premiere in November 2024, followed by two spinoff series.
Costner isn’t the only cast member to go toe-to-toe with Sheridan. On Nov. 21, Sheridan’s coffee company, Bosque Ranch, filed a lawsuit against Yellowstone star Cole Hauser’s coffee company, Free Rein, for “trademark infringement, unfair competition and false advertising.” The lawsuit alleges that Free Rein’s logo is “confusingly similar” to Bosque Ranch’s.
The drama doesn’t end there. Here’s a breakdown of the biggest behind-the-scenes scandals that have rocked the Yellowstone franchise.
