“Kevin Costner shut down Yellowstone production after report of ‘lunging’ at co-star”
Kevin Costner was reportedly involved in a heated altercation with his Yellowstone co-star Wes Bentley, which led to a temporary production shutdown. The incident is said to have occurred shortly before Costner’s controversial exit from Taylor Sheridan’s hit Western drama, ahead of the release of the second half of its fifth and final season. His departure ultimately led to the off-screen death of his character, John Dutton III.
According to a new report citing multiple sources, tensions flared when Costner, 70, allegedly tried to convince Bentley—who plays his on-screen adoptive son—to disregard Sheridan’s script in favor of Costner’s own version during a particular scene. Bentley reportedly pushed back, stating he had signed on to perform Sheridan’s vision, not Costner’s.
An eyewitness claimed the exchange escalated quickly: “Kevin didn’t like that, and he lunged at him. No punches were thrown, but they were in each other’s faces, pushing and shoving. Things got heated until they had to be separated.” Their co-star, English actress Kelly Reilly, was reportedly in tears during the confrontation. Production was briefly halted.
A spokesperson for Bentley later confirmed the incident, describing it as a “work-related argument during an emotional and physically demanding scene,” which was “discussed and resolved.” Costner’s team did not respond to The Independent’s request for comment.
One insider described the altercation as a turning point: “The incident with Wes was the line in the sand. Everything changed after that. Everyone loved Wes, and that made Taylor [Sheridan] really upset. From that point on, Taylor and Kevin clashed frequently—it became very tense.”
Since its premiere on the Paramount Network in 2018, Yellowstone has followed the Dutton family, long-time landowners in Montana, with Costner portraying patriarch John Dutton III. However, behind the scenes, members of the cast and crew reportedly became frustrated with what they described as Costner’s “diva-like” behavior.
In June 2024, Costner confirmed his departure from the series, citing scheduling conflicts with Horizon, a multi-part Western film epic he was directing and starring in. “I did it for five years, and I wanted to work more than once a year,” he said. “We lost an entire year at one point, and I thought that can’t happen again.”
Costner added that he even stepped away from Horizon for a full month to return to Yellowstone and finish season five—but when he arrived, “there was no script” and “things imploded.”
Sheridan later expressed his disappointment over Costner’s decision, saying it “disappointed” him and “truncated the closure” of the character’s arc.
