Kevin Costner dishes on ‘Yellowstone’ exit, saying ‘I will probably go to court over it’

After months of behind-the-scenes drama about “Yellowstone,” Kevin Costner is finally addressing his exit from the hit show.

Word broke in February that the back half of the latest “Yellowstone” season could be the show’s last with Costner as John Dutton. Scheduling conflicts with Costner’s multi-part western movie epic “Horizon” precluding the star from continuing his role as patriarch of the Montana ranch family.

Paramount confirmed in early May that “Yellowstone” would indeed end in its current form with the final episodes of season 5. However, a sequel show is said to be in the works that could feature a few familiar faces from the flagship series.

Now, Costner has shed some light on his exit during a child support hearing last week during his ongoing divorce from Christine Baumgartner. Here’s what we know:

Costner’s shifting focus from “Yellowstone” to “Horizon”

The decision to split “Yellowstone” season 5 into two parts is why Costner left the show, according to People.

“Yellowstone” aired its season 5 premiere in November 2022 and wrapped up its first half on New Years Day. A teaser released during the mid-season finale promised a summer return date that’s yet to be fulfilled.

Costner said it was “long, hard-fought negotiation” with Paramount about splitting the season into two parts, a first for the series that’s been on television since 2018.

The split season meant Costner had to film the show twice a year, instead of all at once. Needing to focus on shooting his multi-part movie epic “Horizon,” Costner ended up changing his schedule to film the first half of “Yellowstone” season 5, mentioning, “That’s a big deal in this world.”

At the time of filming the first half of the season, Costner said there were “no scripts written” for the back half, according to People. The show ended up doing a “pay or play” with Costner, which didn’t work, as he was set to make $12 million for each half of the fifth season.

Costner wanted to come back for the sixth season of ‘Yellowstone’

Despite the “long, hard-fought negotiation” over season 5, Costner wanted to return for the following season.

At the court hearing, Costner said he couldn’t help the show anymore saying, “We tried to negotiate, they offered me less money than previous seasons, there were issues with the creative...”

One last effort was made by Costner, telling his representatives, “have them pay me whatever number, we came up with a number, and they [”Yellowstone”] walked away.” The number in question was believed to be $12 million, according to People.

Costner may take ‘Yellowstone’ to court over earnings

When asked in the court hearing if he’ll receive a payout for the back half of “Yellowstone” season 5, Costner pulled no punches.

“I will probably go to court over it,” Costner said, adding later. “I’ve been told it’s a little disappointing that [it’s] the #1 show on TV, I’m not participating.”

When will the second half of ‘Yellowstone’ season 5 air?

Regardless of Costner’s comments on the show, it will likely be months if not longer before “Yellowstone” comes back.

Hollywood is in the middle of a Writer’s Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strikes. Both guilds are pushing for more equitable contracts, with the main focus on residuals and the the use of artificial intelligence in projects.

With both writers and actors on strike, a majority of filming for movies and television has come to a screeching halt. “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan, a WGA member, said he’s put his pen down to support the guild’s efforts.

Whenever a contract is reached, it will likely take some time to schedule filming dates for the “Yellowstone” cast and crew.

However, “Yellowstone” will air on television this fall, but not how you might expect. CBS is planning to air “Yellowstone” from its beginning and continue week-to-week starting on Sundays after NFL games, kicking off on Sept. 17.