Kevin Costner does not want to talk about it.
In a sit down with Gayle King Thursday for CBS Mornings, Costner promoted his new film Horizon, but wasn’t going to get away without a few Yellowstone questions. The actor announced a week ago that he would not return to the show’s final fifth season, but at the time of the CBS sit down, hadn’t yet made the announcement. When probed by King about whether or not he would be returning, Costner promptly shut the conversation down: “We're not going to discuss this on the show really, honestly,” he said, clearly annoyed.
Amidst the rumored feud between Costner and the show’s writer-creator Taylor Sheridan, Costner has been somewhat tight-lipped—but as he’s been out and about promoting his “passion project,” he’s faced more questions about his future on the popular Western drama. Since his appearance on CBS Mornings, Costner decided to put months of speculation about his return to rest.
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“After this long year and a half of working on Horizon 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,” he said in a video posted to his social media last week. “It was something that really changed me. I loved it and I know you loved it, and I just wanted to let you know that I won't be returning.”
But at the time of the sit-down, King was ready with several questions the show’s fans have had for months. As Costner talked about how much he loved working on Yellowstone, she asked, “If it's not that hard, why can't the two of you be able to work it out? People would love to see that.”
As he continued to pussyfoot around the elephant in the room, King doubled down, citing the “characterization” of the actor in the press amid the alleged drama between the two men: “You made demands, you want to have a certain schedule, you want to shoot at a certain time, you want certain money,” she said, summarizing some of the reports that have come to light during the show's hiatus.
And Costner wasn’t having it: “It’s not therapy, Gayle,” he said as he looked agitated in his seat and ultimately told her, “We’re not going to discuss this.”
