REPORT: Heated Altercation Between Kevin Costner And “Yellowstone” Co-Star Once Shut Down Production
on Oct 08, 2025
New details are emerging about what likely led to Kevin Costner’s departure from the Paramount Network’s television hit Yellowstone.
A new story published by The Hollywood Reporter details an alleged altercation between Kevin Costner and his co-star, Wes Bentley, on the set of Yellowstone’s fifth season. Costner, who was executive producer and the star of the series, exited the series after the first half of season 5.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Costner was filming a scene in Utah with Bentley, who portrayed his adopted son Jamie Dutton, and Kelly Reilly, who played Beth Dutton, when things went bad. An unnamed source told the outlet that Costner was encouraging Bentley to “play the moment his way” and disregard Taylor Sheridan’s script.
Bentley allegedly refused, telling Costner that he “had signed up for a Taylor Sheridan show, not a Kevin Costner production.”
“Kevin didn’t like that, and he lunged at him. No fists were thrown, but they were in each other’s faces, pushing and shoving and just getting hot until they had to be separated,” the sources said, adding that Reilly was brought to tears by the confrontation, and filming was temporarily paused.
The altercation was one of many issues that signaled the beginning of the end for Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone involvement.
For months before Costner’s official exit, rumors swirled about tensions on set. At the time, the Dances With Wolves actor said scheduling conflicts were to blame, as he was working on his passion project, Horizon, during Yellowstone filming breaks.
Those conflicts were exacerbated by the writers’ strikes in Hollywood that led to a 14-month hiatus from filming the Taylor Sheridan series. Eventually, Costner and Sheridan agreed that it was time for Costner’s character, John Dutton, to leave the series. During episode 9 of season 5, Dutton was killed off.
Five more episodes of Yellowstone aired following the death of Costner’s character, and showed his children dealing with the aftermath of the murder. The series officially ended in December 2024, but spinoffs will allow fans to follow the Dutton family.
Dutton Ranch is the working title for a new series that will follow John Dutton’s daughter, Beth, and her husband, Rip, as they get a fresh start. The series is expected to premiere in early 2026.
