“Kevin Costner Reportedly Had a Yellowstone Co-Star Physical Altercation”
At the peak of its popularity, Yellowstone ranked as one of the most-watched shows on television. However, by the time the series concluded, it had become mired in controversy, with leading man and Oscar-winner Kevin Costner abruptly written out of the storyline. Behind-the-scenes drama fueled widespread speculation, despite co-star Wendy Moniz stepping up to publicly defend Costner. Still, few truly understood the depth of the discord—until now.
Recent reports suggest that Costner may have played a more direct role in the on-set tension than previously known, with sources claiming he was involved in a physical altercation with fellow cast member Wes Bentley during a shoot.
The reported incident occurred during a scene featuring Costner, Bentley, and Kelly Reilly. According to insiders, Costner began demanding spontaneous rewrites to the Taylor Sheridan-scripted episode, which Bentley opposed. Bentley allegedly reminded Costner that Sheridan—not Costner—was the creative authority behind Yellowstone. That comment reportedly didn’t sit well with Costner.
“Kevin didn’t take it well. He lunged at Wes,” one source revealed. “There were no punches thrown, but it got heated—lots of yelling, some shoving, and it escalated to the point where they had to be pulled apart.” The altercation led to a temporary suspension in production, and those on set, including Reilly, were visibly shaken.
According to another source present that day, “The incident with Wes was the breaking point. Things changed after that—there was no going back.”
Costner Claims Contract Disputes Drove His Departure
While much of the cast and crew remained tight-lipped, rumors had long swirled that tension between Costner and the show’s producers was growing. Speculation painted Costner as difficult and demanding, though he publicly denied such claims.
“I haven’t felt good about how they portrayed things this past year,” Costner stated. “A lot of what’s been said just isn’t true.” He claimed his departure stemmed from contractual disagreements over Seasons 5, 6, and 7—the latter of which never materialized. When the studio attempted to renegotiate terms, Costner was already committed to filming his multi-part Western epic, Horizon, which itself has faced behind-the-scenes complications.
Costner argued that his stance was simply to avoid production delays. “All I did was protect myself,” he said.
Now, with new details emerging about his behavior on set, fans and industry insiders are once again questioning what—or who—truly led to the abrupt end of John Dutton’s time on Yellowstone.
