The soapy saga of the Dutton family captivated viewers, but it turns out the real Yellowstone drama was playing out behind-the-scenes.

On-set tension with co-star Wes Bentley contributed to Kevin Costner’s early exit from Yellowstone, a new report reveals. At one point, the two actors – who played father and son John and Jamie Dutton on the hit Paramount Network show – nearly came to blows over a script dispute. The incident was so bad their co-star Kelly Reilly was brought to tears, according to the bombshell article from The Hollywood Reporter. 

Kevin Costner’s fight with Wes Bentley changed the vibe on the ‘Yellowstone’ set

When Costner confirmed in June 2024 that he wouldn’t be returning for the second half of Yellowstone Season 5, many attributed his decision to tension with show creator Taylor Sheridan. But there was apparently more to the story. Tension between Costner and the rest of the cast, who were loyal to Sheridan, occasionally boiled over on set.

At one point, Costner, Bentley, and Reilly were filming a scene on a soundstage in Utah, according to the report. Costner wanted Bentley to deviate from Sheridan’s script. Bentley refused, saying he was working on Sheridan’s show, not Costner’s. 

“Kevin didn’t like that, and he lunged at him,” a source who was present during the incident said. “No fists were thrown, but they were in each other’s faces, pushing and shoving and just getting hot until they had to be separated.” 

Production was briefly shut down after fight, which also left Reilly in tears. Things were never the same afterward. 

“The incident with Wes was the line in the sand. Everything was different after that,” another source said. “Everyone loved Wes and so that really made Taylor upset. Kevin and Taylor butted heads from there on out. It got very awkward.”

Kevin Costner had a list of ‘Yellowstone’ demands 

Costner declined to comment on the altercation with his co-star. But a representative for Bentley confirmed the incident, describing it as a “work related argument during an emotional and physically tough scene,” adding that the dispute was “discussed and resolved.” 

The tension with Bentley was just one of a growing list of issues with Costner. The Dances With Wolves director and star was reportedly miffed that Sheridan was getting a lot of attention for Yellowstone spinoff 1883 while he was struggling to get financing for his historical western epic Horizon. He demanded a reduced filming schedule for season 5, as well as a $10 million upfront payment and script approval. Sheridan balked, and Costner’s character was killed off at the beginning of the second half of the show’s final season. 

Leaving Yellowstone was a costly decision for Costner, who was being paid $1.5 million per episode. The successful series could have run several more seasons, a source said, meaning its leading man stood to take home as much as $45 million if he’d stayed on the show.  Instead, he walked away, opting to sink millions into the production of Horizon, which bombed at the box office when it was released last summer.

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