Kevin Costner Breaks Silence On Reason For 'Yellowstone' Exit

Kevin Costner is finally opening up about his unexpected exit from the hit series "Yellowstone."

The award-winning actor who played the rugged John Dutton disclosed the real motivations behind his departure, ending months of speculation and rumors. 

Kevin Costner shocked fans when he took to his social media pages on June 20 to announce his exit from the anticipated finale of "Yellowstone."

In a recent interview while promoting his latest film, "Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1," Costner revealed his reasons for leaving the hit series Yellowstone. Reminiscing on his memorable moments on the series, the actor shared:

"Yellowstone was a great moment in my life. I remember reading it, and thinking I wanted to do this. Maybe do one season or just one long movie, and ended up doing five [seasons]."

Despite his fondness for the show, Costner admitted that his growing list of projects made it challenging to continue with the series. In his own words:

"It was important for me to be able to do other things and, you know, try to make that work. [But] I just wasn't able to make it work."

With "Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1" debuting this month and Chapter 2 slated for an August release, Costner is undoubtedly immersed in one of the most significant projects of his career. 

This multi-chapter saga, a passion project for the acclaimed actor, is currently in production for its final two installments.

In another part of his conversation with ET, Costner opened up about his aspirations concerning his career and legacy. 

According to the film producer, "Yellowstone" played an unexpected role in creating his long-lasting legacy in the movie industry. Costner emphasized his commitment to creating engaging and compelling films.

He expressed his desire for his work to surprise audiences with its quality, mentioning "Yellowstone" as a prime example of this. The 69-year-old highlighted how the show unexpectedly became a hit, stating:

"Yellowstone burst onto the scene and it was a surprise, and it was wonderful and it was good... and other characters were jumping off the screen, and that's what I want to be known for, you know?"

Costner then turned to his latest project, expressing a similar hope for its reception despite its R rating.

"I want for people to go home and go, 'You know what?I want to take the kids to see Horizon,becauseyes it's violent, but I want them to understand that's probably what happened to their great great grandmothers and grandfathers,'" the star shared.

Costner's explanation for leaving "Yellowstone" comes just days after he formally announced his departure from the series.

Per The Blast, the father-of-seven's confirmation also came amid reports of disagreements with series co-creator Taylor Sheridan and negotiations with Paramount. In the video update on Instagram, the star shared:

"I 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, and 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 5B or into the future." 

Costner went on to express how deeply the show impacted him, stating that he genuinely loved being part of the show. 

Acknowledging the fans' affection for the series, he confirmed, "I just wanted to let you know that I won't be returning." He concluded by showing appreciation for the strong connection he had built with the audience.

Amidst addressing his departure from the hit series Yellowstone, Costner also clarified rumors surrounding his relationship with singer Jewel. 

Speculation arose last year when the two were photographed together on a private island, sparking dating rumors.

Last week, The Blast reported that the TV personality took the opportunity to clear the air during his appearance on "The Howard Stern Show." He explained that he chose not to address the rumors earlier to protect their friendship. 

"Jewel and I are friends — we've never gone out. She's special, and I don't want these rumors to ruin our friendship because that's what we have," he stated.

Last November, the duo caught attention during Jewel's annual tennis fundraiser on Sir Richard Branson's Necker Island. 

While the group photo showed them among guests dressed in white, another snapshot ignited speculation of a romantic relationship.

One of the images showed Costner and Jewel appearing cozy. The "Foolish Games" singer was speaking into a microphone while Costner looked on affectionately.