Kevin Costner Opens Up About His Yellowstone Exit and John Dutton Controversial Death

kevin costner yellowstone character – Kevin Costner is finally addressing the shocking departure of his character, John Dutton, from Yellowstone. The revelation of John murder in the Season 5B premiere left fans stunned, but the actor says he not bothered by the backlash surrounding his character controversial exit.

In a recent interview with E! News on November 17, Costner explained that he had pitched two potential endings for John Dutton, but the final decision on how to write off the Dutton patriarch was ultimately in the hands of Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan and the show production team. They do what they want to do,” Costner shrugged. That fine with me.”

While the death of John Dutton sparked a heated fan response, Costner appears to have taken it all in stride. He acknowledged the importance of fan feedback, saying, Fans have a voice in things, and they choose to follow stuff.” However, despite the shock factor of the storyline, the Oscar-winning actor revealed that he was already aware his character would not be returning for the second half of Season 5.

I didn’t know it was actually airing last night,” Costner admitted in an earlier interview on The Michael Smerconish Program on SiriusXM, hours after the episode aired on November 11. He recalled seeing ads featuring his face and thinking, Gee, I’m not in that one.” He added, I didn’t realize yesterday was the thing. Somebody said, ‘It played last night?’ And I said, ‘Hmm, okay.’ So no, I found out about it this morning actually.”

Regarding his character tragic death, Costner expressed mixed feelings. I didn’t see it,” he said. I heard it a suicide. That doesn’t make me wanna rush to go see it.”

Costner exit from Yellowstone came as a result of scheduling conflicts with his ambitious four-part film anthology Horizon: An American Saga, which he had been working on for over a year. In June, the actor announced he would step back from the hit Paramount Network series due to his commitment to the film project. In an emotional Instagram video, he thanked fans for their support and reflected on his time as John Dutton. It was something that really changed me, he said of the role, which he played from 2018 to 2022. I loved it, and I know you loved it.

Despite his departure, Costner gratitude for the role is clear. He continued, I just wanted to let you know that I won’t be returning, marking the end of an era for his portrayal of the iconic character.

While Yellowstone moves forward without its central figure, Kevin Costner legacy as John Dutton remains an indelible part of the show success. Fans may be divided on how his character was written off, but Costner reaction shows that he at peace with the creative choices made for his exit.