Costner has played John Dutton III since Taylor Sheridan launched his Western empire in 2018, remaining in the role through its five-season run.
However, the flagship show has run into a bit of a snag over the past year: rumors of behind-the-scenes drama between the star and creator preceded its unexpected end with the final episodes of Season 5, which have yet to be released.
Viewers are still waiting anxiously for Part 2 to drop, and with uncertainty over whether Costner will appear in the last stretch or he’ll be “taken to the train station”, the latter is looking increasingly likely.
Kevin Costner is “no longer under contract” for Yellowstone
Amid Costner’s divorce from his second wife Christine Baumgartner, court documents – as reported by Insider – have revealed he has already cut ties with the series.
“I will earn substantially less in 2023 than I did in 2022. This is because I am no longer under contract for Yellowstone, the principal source of my income last year,” he said in a June 30 declaration.
Costner is believed to have earned $1.3 million per episode last year, but “so far in 2023 I have yet to receive any participation compensation from Yellowstone,” he added.
“Now, any compensation I earn from Yellowstone will derive only from my back-end contractual participation rights, which amounts are not fixed. The most recent report from the producer for Yellowstone shows I am not now owed any participation money.” Costner has “disputed” the report.
Many have hoped to see Costner sport his rancher hat one last time, but if he does return, there’s a good chance he’ll be killed off before the final credits. “Whether [Dutton’s fate] inflates [Costner’s] ego or insults [it] is collateral damage that I don’t factor in with regard to storytelling,” Sheridan told The Hollywood Reporter.
