Kevin Costner Slams ‘Yellowstone’ Producers Who ‘Didn’t Stick Up’ For Him

Paramount Studios previously said there was a feud between Costner and producer Taylor Sheridan. However, the actor claims the real issue was the lack of scripts and the studio’s contract amendments.

Costner expressed his frustration that the studio did not support him despite his efforts. He also discussed how Paramount has stretched Sheridan thin with its many upcoming projects.

Costner has finally opened up about his side of the ongoing drama behind the scenes of his hit series, “Yellowstone.”

The actor, who plays John Dutton III in the series directed by Taylor Sheridan, opened up to Deadlineabout what’s been happening between him and the studio Paramount.

There have been ongoing rumors that a feud between Costner and Sheridan caused the halt in work on the series.

Paramount claimed that the actor refused to shoot any more episodes to make more time to promote his new film, “Horizon.” However, Costner insists that he honored his contract with them despite the rumors.

Costner noted that Paramount wanted amendments to his contract because of Sheridan’s delayed scriptwriting.

He said, “There was no script. And then things imploded. You’ve been reading one version [of the show’s drama] for a year and a half. I have taken a beating from those f–king guys, and I know a lot of times where it’s coming from.”

Costner insisted that he always made the “Yellowstone” series his first priority. He said, “‘Horizon’ was set in the middle, but ‘Yellowstone’ was first position. I fit [Horizon] into the gaps. They just kept moving their gaps.”

The Hollywood star expressed concern about the lack of support from the “Yellowstone” production team.

He said, “They were silent, and that bothered me in the world of how you do things. Why don’t you stick up for me? I went and sold this thing for you. I was going to only do one season. I made it for three. I fulfilled three.”

Costner explained that he still did a fourth series and was bound by a contract for three more. He said, “I had a contract to do five, six and seven. I was contracted to do that. There’s nothing I could have done to get out of that, nor was I trying to just figure out how when we started.”

The actor was angry and talked about how he left work on his movie, “Horizon,” to be on time for his “Yellowstone” schedule. He added, “I left exactly when they wanted, and it made it hard on me.”

Costner further insisted that the core issue in the whole drama was the lack of scripts for the final episodes of “Yellowstone.”

He said, “It turns out they didn’t have the scripts for 5B. They needed four more days just to complete the first eight episodes. I left early to give them what they needed to have a complete eight, and I felt bad that the audience didn’t get 10. They didn’t have the scripts for anything else.”

Costner added, “So, what you read in the end was that I said, ‘Well, look, I’m doing my movie. If you want me to work a week because you want to kill me or whatever else, I can give you a week.’ I really didn’t have that week to give them, but I said I’ll do that. And then they [spun that] into, I only wanted to work a week.”

During the interview, Costner mentioned that Paramount was stretching Sheridan too thin, which is why he couldn’t deliver on the scripts for “Yellowstone.”

The producer is currently overseeing multiple projects for the studio, including “Mayor of Kingstown,” “Tulsa King,” and “Lawman: Bass Reeves.”

There are also rumors that “Yellowstone” wants to launch a new sequel or spin-off of the show starring Matthew McConaughey.

Costner said, “There’s a lot of product they were putting out. ‘Yellowstone’ didn’t have the scripts. And they wrote these other three shows. They don’t ever talk about that.”

During an appearance at CinemaCon to promote his film Horizon: An American Saga, Costner discussed the prospect of returning to the hit Paramount Network drama following his exit.

It comes after he quit filming following the release of the first half of season five as tensions rose between him and co-creator Taylor Sheridan, forcing the show to go on a hiatus.

The “Draft Day” actor has now disclosed that he’d “love” to reprise his role as John Dutton for the show’s second half and final season, which is expected to drop in November.

“I’d like to be able to do it, but we haven’t been able to,” Costner said, per Entertainment Tonight. “…I thought I was going to make seven [seasons] but right now we’re at five. So how it works out — I hope it does — but they’ve got a lot of different shows going on. Maybe it will. Maybe this will circle back to me. If it does and I feel really comfortable with [it], I’d love to do it.”