Kevin Costner reveals he had no idea Yellowstone character was being killed off

Kevin Costner has finally addressed the shocking exit of his character from , revealing he was as taken aback as fans when he saw John Dutton's tragic demise at the same time as viewers.

The much-loved character met a grim end in the bathroom of the Montana governor's mansion, succumbing to a fatal gunshot wound. It initially wasn't clear how the shot was fired, heightening the drama of last Sunday's season 5 part two opener, entitled Desire Is All You Need. While no immediate explanation followed, John's son Jamie (portrayed by Wes Bentley) goes on to announce his father's suicide in a scene with reporters.

In light of the twist, spoke candidly about his unexpected departure from the fan-favorite series on SiriusXM's podcast The Michael Smerconish Program: "Well, I'm going to be perfectly honest. I didn't know it was actually airing last night."

His statement followed a wave of fan disappointment, with viewers voicing their fury over what they felt was an anticlimactic send-off unworthy of his character. Some claimed the premiere of the second half of the fifth season was lacklustre and even embarrassing, while others took aim at Costner's perceived egotism, critiquing him for claims that he 'only makes movies for men' and targeting his decision to cast his own son over more seasoned actors in the upcoming film 'Horizon'.

He explained: "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. But I didn't realise yesterday was the thing. Somebody said, 'It played last night? ' And I said, 'Hmm, okay.' So no, I found out about it this morning actually."

Kevin then admitted he wasn't sure how his character would meet his end, with two scenarios on the table. Upon learning that John died by suicide, Kevin remarked: "I didn't see it. I heard it's a suicide. That doesn't make me wanna rush to go see it." Despite being a mainstay on Yellowstone for five seasons and topping the pay scale, Kevin dispelled the whispers that he exited the show for his new Western film series Horizon.

He confirmed: "There was contractual things that would allow for both things to be done, 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 was just too difficult for them to do it."

He finished by saying: "I accommodated them on those extra two things that changed - things change - and finally when they wanted to change it a third time, because I had my obligations to do, 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. There was no ... you know, everybody has to live up to what they say they're going to do. And it doesn't matter what business you're in."

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