The premiere of Yellowstone season 5 turned fans' heads as the absence of Kevin Costner's character John Dutton III was evident upon the show's return. Here's why the actor exited the show.
SPOILER WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for Yellowstone season 5, so proceed with caution.
Why is Kevin Costner Not in Yellowstone Season 5? Reason For Absence
Kevin Costner, who played the patriarch John Dutton III for five seasons from 2018 to 2022 is not in Yellowstone season 5 for a reason.
The Yellowstone star Kevin Costner had two reasons for his absence in season 5: scheduling conflicts and reportedly having creative conflicts with showrunner Taylor Sheridan.
"I loved the show," Costner said at the time, "I liked the people on the show. I liked what it was about. I love that world."
However, the Academy Award winner previously shared on People his disappointment with how the producers of the show mishandled rumors about his departure from the show.
According to reports, he kept Yellowstone as his top priority but ultimately said, "The scripts weren't there."
As much as Costner was proud to have "stepped up" to do "three seasons" of Yellowstone and ended up doing five, he shed light on the illuminating factor that led him to stop, "That show for me stopped for 14 months... That's a fact."
He added, "I was disappointed that nobody on their side ever stepped up to defend what it was I actually did for them," and told his last straw, "There came a moment where I thought, 'Wow, 'When is somebody going to say something about what I have done versus what I haven't done?'"
Yellowstone Co-Star Luke Grimes Mourns Over Costner's Exit
During Paramount's Yellowstone season 5 red carpet, Luke Grimes, who plays Kayce Dutton, expresses his remorse over losing his co-star in the fifth season.
"It's hard to imagine the show without him," Grimes admitted before adding, "But that's always where the show was headed. It was, 'Can these kids do it without him?'"
Grimes continued that while they knew 'it was going to get there', they had no idea how or when that would happen, "And clearly it was different than what we thought. But what it did do was ramp the show up to a 10 and now everything starts to unravel."
To Grimes, it was practically a 'miracle' they managed to finish the show despite the missing cast member, "I'm glad we were able to finish the show — there was a lot of obstacles, we had COVID seasons and strike seasons and Kevin not being around."
READ NEXT: Yellowstone: Will Jamie Die in Season 5B? Actor Wes Bentley Explains
Yellowstone season 5 episode 9 returns on Sunday, November 10.
Make sure to follow our official Facebook page for more news and explainer articles about your favorite films and TV shows!