Yellowstone Star Luke Grimes Breaks Silence on His Relationship With Kevin Costner Two Years After Fractured Exit
Radio Silence Between On-Screen Father and Son
Two years after Kevin Costner’s explosive exit from Taylor Sheridan’s mega-hit Western drama Yellowstone, former co-star Luke Grimes is opening up about where the two stand today. Grimes, who portrayed Kayce Dutton—the youngest son of Costner’s patriarch John Dutton—throughout the flagship series, revealed that he has not spoken to his former television father since Costner walked away from the ranch in 2024.
Speaking in an interview with USA Today, Grimes addressed the complete lack of communication between the two actors over the past couple of years. “I have never spoken to Kevin since we stopped working together,” Grimes admitted candidly. However, he was quick to clarify that the distance stems from practical realities rather than lingering animosity: “Not for any other reason other than we are both just busy guys and life moves on.”
Doubts Over a Potential Cameo in Spinoff Marshals
With Grimes continuing to carry the torch for the franchise as Kayce in the Yellowstone spinoff series Marshals, speculation naturally turns to whether Costner could ever make a surprise return to the universe that redefined his late-career renaissance. When asked if John Dutton could theoretically make a cameo appearance on the new show, Grimes expressed skepticism.
“I think that would be cool [but] I doubt that would happen, at this point,” Grimes acknowledged.
Even if the opportunity for a nostalgic flashback scene were to arise, Grimes admitted his priorities lie elsewhere within the narrative. “If there was a flashback, I would want it to be with [Kayce’s wife] Monica than John,” he continued, adding that such a scene would carry greater emotional weight for his character’s journey. “I think that would be more poignant to the character, but we will see.”
He emphasized his affection for co-star Kelsey Asbille, who played Monica alongside him throughout Yellowstone: “There’s been no conversation, but I sure would love it. I love working with her.”
Looking Back at Behind-the-Scenes Tension and Production Shifts
Costner’s exit midway through Yellowstone‘s fifth and final season came after months of public speculation and reported friction between the Oscar-winning star and showrunner Taylor Sheridan. At the time, Costner cited delayed scripts, extended production hiatuses, and scheduling conflicts with his ambitious, self-funded Western feature film franchise, Horizon: An American Saga.
The aftermath of Costner’s departure was felt deeply across the production. Reflecting on the atmosphere during filming after Costner left, Grimes previously told Esquire in 2024 that the final stretch of filming felt unexpectedly lighter. “To be really honest, there was a part of Kevin being gone that meant some of the conflict was gone,” Grimes said at the time. “Obviously, it didn’t make it super fun to be around. Not pointing any fingers, but it was actually the easiest season we’ve filmed.”
In a separate interview with The Independent that same year, Grimes expressed empathy for Costner’s decision to pursue his personal creative vision, even as it disrupted the main show’s trajectory. “Whatever happened there is unfortunate if it’s changed anything about how the show was going to unfold,” Grimes noted. “I know, [Costner] got busy with his movies that were like passion projects. At a certain point, you gotta do what you gotta do, man; you gotta do what you love.”
Costner ultimately released the first installment of Horizon: An American Saga in June 2024 shortly after his Yellowstone departure. However, the passion project faced significant headwinds at the global box office, earning just $38 million worldwide against its reported $50 million production budget.
As Grimes leads the next chapter of the Dutton universe in Marshals, the legacy of John Dutton continues to loom large over the franchise. Whether fans will ever see the patriarch’s shadow revisited in future storylines remains one of the Western franchise’s biggest unanswered questions.
