‘Yellowstone’ Cast on Kevin Costner’s Departure: Their Reactions

By:
November 11, 2024 1:02PM EST
'Yellowstone' Cast on Kevin Costner's Departure: Their Reactions
Getty Images for Paramount Network

The cast of ‘Yellowstone’ have shared their reactions to Kevin’s departure from the series. Read what each actor said.

Now that Kevin Costner has been written off of Yellowstone, his former co-stars have to forge on — at least for the remainder of season 5.  Part 2 of the highly anticipated fifth season premiered on November 10, 2024, and the current cast of the show were asked for their reactions to Kevin’s departure.

Despite rumors surrounding his leave, Kevin insisted that he enjoyed playing John Dutton for several years.

Read the Yellowstone cast’s reaction to Kevin’s departure in our gallery below.

1 of 8

Wendy Moniz

Wendy Moniz
Variety via Getty Images

While speaking with The New York Post, Wendy said that filming season 5 was “a little bittersweet” and “was a little bit different, but mostly because we’re such a strong ensemble, and it’s so much about the storytelling of the family.” 

November 11, 2024, 12:33PM
2 of 8

John Emmet Tracy

John Emmet Tracy
Variety via Getty Images

“Clearly, he’s a Hollywood legend,” John said about Kevin, per The New York Post. “And I think his involvement in the show was a huge part in making the show legendary. But, I would just say people are going to enjoy the way that this series is going, at the end.” 

November 11, 2024, 12:33PM
3 of 8

Wes Bentley

Wes Bentley
FilmMagic

“We miss him,” Wes said, per The Independent. “He’s a huge part of the show and great guy to have around.” 

November 11, 2024, 12:33PM
4 of 8

Christina Voros

Christina Voros
Getty Images for Paramount+

“John Dutton is still central,” the director told The Hollywood Reporter. “His presence is integral. I think to say any more than that would potentially compromise all the work that went into redacting the scripts! But I think the reason people are wondering, ‘Is he, isn’t he? Where is he, where is he not?’ is because he is the patriarch and his presence is an essential component to the story.”

November 11, 2024, 12:33PM
5 of 8

Luke Grimes

Luke Grimes
FilmMagic

“It’s hard to imagine the show without him,” Luke said, per The Independent, before adding, “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.” 

November 11, 2024, 12:33PM
6 of 8

Denim Richards

Denim Richards
Getty Images for Paramount

“For a lot of us, we thought maybe 18 months ago that that was probably going to be the end,” Denim said, per The New York Post. “He’s been a juggernaut for over four decades. I’ve had the opportunity to learn so much from him. Of course, there’s going to be some gaps that you feel. But I think that [creator Taylor Sheridan] has written characters that have so much depth, and they’ve been able to fill in those gaps.” 

Denim continued, “But I mean, it’s entertainment, right? Things change so much … at a certain point, you’ve just got to show up and do your job, because there’s so many people that are making other decisions that are outside of our scope.” 

November 11, 2024, 12:33PM
7 of 8

Ian Bohen

Ian Bohen
Getty Images for Paramount

“As they say, the show must go on,” Ian said, accoring to The New York Post. “You must do your part, and the rest of it works itself out.” 

November 11, 2024, 12:33PM
8 of 8

Kevin Costner

Kevin Costner
Getty Images

Before part 2 of season 5 premiered, Kevin told PEOPLE that he “loved the show” and denounced the rumors about an alleged difficult departure. 

“When it was first pitched to me by Taylor [Sheridan], it was one season and [like] a long movie, which [is] speaking my language … but ultimately, I think what happened was the studio didn’t want that,” Kevin explained. “And because he’s such a prolific writer, he said, ‘I can do that. I can make a series that goes on.'” 

November 11, 2024, 12:33PM