Kevin Costner Breaks His Silence on How ‘Yellowstone’ Wrote Off John Dutton!

He revealed he hasn’t watched the episode yet, but that didn’t stop him from sharing his opinion.

Kevin Costner was quick to break his silence on John Dutton’s death in the premiere of Yellowstone season five, part two.

The day after the episode aired, Costner went on The Michael Smerconish Program on SiriusXM, where he told Smerconish he hadn’t seen the episode—but he wasn’t planning to. “I’m going to be perfectly honest.

I didn’t know it was actually airing last night,” Costner said. “That’s a swear to God moment. I swear to God. I mean, I’ve been seeing ads with my face all over the place and I’m thinking, ‘Gee, I’m not in that one.’ I’m not in this season.”

Costner continued, “I didn’t see it. I heard it’s a suicide, so that doesn’t make me want to rush to go see it.” When Smerconish says John Dutton doesn’t strike him as a man who would die by suicide, Costner says, “Well, they’re pretty smart people.

Maybe it’s a red herring. Who knows? They’re very good. And they’ll figure that out.” Of course, as the episode reveals, John Dutton’s death is not a suicide, but rather a hit taken out by Sarah (Dawn Olivieri).

Elsewhere in the interview, Costner reiterated what he has previously said on why he didn’t return for the second half of season five. “There was contractual things that would allow for both things to be done,” he said, referring to his film series, Horizon, and Yellowstone, “but because both things were contractual, you had to make room for the other thing.

There was room, but it was difficult for them to keep their schedule. It seemed to be, it was just too difficult for them to do it.”

He added, “I didn’t leave. I didn’t quit,” explaining “I had 300 people waiting for me, I couldn’t help them anymore. I just simply couldn’t help them. But I didn’t quit the show… everybody has to live up to what they say they’re going to do. And it doesn’t matter what business you’re in.”