Full Breakdown
Luke Grimes and Kevin Costner Remain Out of Touch Two Years After “Yellowstone” Ended
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Core Event
Luke Grimes, who played Kayce Dutton on *Yellowstone* and its CBS spin-off *Marshals*, told USA Today on October 5 that he has not spoken to former co-star Kevin Costner since the two stopped working together. Grimes also expressed a preference for a flashback featuring Kayce’s late wife Monica (played by Kelsey Asbille) rather than John Dutton.
Background & Context
*Yellowstone* aired five seasons on Paramount Network, concluding in December 2024. Costner’s character, patriarch John Dutton, was killed off at the start of the final season after Costner left the series midway through season 5. Reports attribute his departure to scheduling conflicts with his western project *Horizon: An American Saga* and to a protracted production hiatus. The series creator, Taylor Sheridan, has said Costner’s original contract covered only three seasons and that the network pressured him to stay longer because the show had become a “behemoth.”
Following the series finale, Grimes reprised Kayce Dutton in the *Yellowstone* spin-off *Marshals*. Season 1 premiered in March 2026; Season 2 launched on October 4 on CBS, continuing Kayce’s story as a U.S. Marshal in Montana.
Official Statements & Responses
- Costner announced his exit on Instagram in June 2024, stating he was leaving to focus on other projects.
Conflicting Reports on Costner’s Departure
Sources differ on why Costner left *Yellowstone*. Fox News and USA Today cite “delayed scripts and scheduling clashes” with Costner’s western series as the primary cause. Nine and Pagesix quote Sheridan emphasizing network pressure and contractual obligations, suggesting the studio wanted Costner to remain despite his desire to exit. Both explanations are presented in the record, and no single source definitively resolves the discrepancy.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I’ve never spoken to Kevin since we stopped working together,” — Luke Grimes
- “If there was a flashback, I would probably rather it be with Monica [Kelsey Asbille] than John. I think that would be more poignant to the character, but we'll see,” — Luke Grimes
- “He was only supposed to be in the first three seasons,” — Taylor Sheridan
- “That was in his contract. In my mind, that’s when his youngest son takes over [on the show]… But the network was so scared of not having Kevin be a part of it, even though Kevin was ready,” — Taylor Sheridan
What’s Next
*Marshals* Season 2 continues to follow Kayce Dutton’s efforts to protect his son Tate while navigating new threats in Montana. No official plans for a Costner cameo have been announced, and Grimes indicated that any future flashback would more likely involve Monica than John Dutton. The series’ future beyond season 2 remains pending on a potential season-3 pickup.