The cast of "Yellowstone" has addressed Kevin Costner's absence from the second part of the show's final season amid reports that the actor had fallen out with showrunner Taylor Sheridan.
The hit drama, which returned Sunday for the ninth episode of its fifth season, will not feature lead actor Costner, who played ranch owner John Dutton, in the final six episodes of the series.
He exited the show in June due to scheduling conflicts, but it was widely reported that there was underlying tension.
Speaking at the Season 5 Part 2 premiere in New York this week, Luke Grimes, who plays Kayce Dutton, shared that it was "hard to imagine the show" without Costner, but "that's always where the show was headed. It was, Can these kids do it without him?"
"So we all knew it was going to get there, we just didn't know how or when, 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," he continued, according to the Independent.
"I guess I was probably a little disappointed that we didn't know that he wasn't going to be, you know, back. I think there might have been a better goodbye had we done it in some other way. It was, you know, it was more of a surprise than anything," he said.
"But like I said, that's above my pay grade. And our job is just show up and do what's on the page and do it to the best of our ability," he added.
"We miss him," added Wes Bentley, who plays Jamie Dutton. "He's a huge part of the show and great guy to have around."
In June, Costner confirmed his exit from "Yellowstone" on Instagram.
"I just want to reach out and let you know that after this long year and a half of working on 'Horizon' and doing all the things that's required," he said at the time, referencing the four-part Western movie series he has produced, co-written, directed, and starred in.
"Thinking about 'Yellowstone,' that beloved series that I love, that I know you love. I just realized that I'm not going to be able to continue, season five or into the future," Costner continued.
Reflecting on his time on "Yellowstone," the actor said it was "something that really changed me."
"I loved it and I know you loved it. I just wanted to let you know that I won't be returning," he said. "I love the relationships that I've been able to develop. And I'll see you at the movies."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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