‘Yellowstone’ Star Luke Grimes Distances Himself From Kevin Costner – ‘I Haven’t Talked To Him…’

Earlier this week, we reported on the backlash that was pouring in over the series finale of the hit show Yellowstone, which aired on Sunday night. Now, Luke Grimes, who played Kayce Dutton on Yellowstone, is admitting that he hasn’t spoken to Kevin Costner since he left the show.

Grimes Hasn’t Talked To Costner

Costner, who played John Dutton on Yellowstone ever since it premiered back in 2018, declined to return to film the second half of the fifth and final season. He made this decision because filming conflicted with that of his four-part Western film series Horizon.

“I haven’t talked to him since [he left],” Grimes, 40, told Men’s Health of Costner, 69. “It’s not a case of any hard feelings or anything. It’s just — he’s Kevin Costner. He’s a big deal. I do have his phone number—I just don’t feel like it’s my place to reach out. He can reach out to me if he wants to.”

Grimes went on to reveal that the Yellowstone cast was stunned by all the drama between Costner and the show’s creator Taylor Sheridan, 54.

“None of us saw it coming the way it did, and obviously there was news about possible blowups behind the scenes or whatever,” Grimes explained. “But just like in life, man, these things happen, they happen fast, and they’re not predictable.”

“I lost my father a few years ago,” he continued. “It happened fast, and it was not the way that you would think that that would happen. In life, these things happen and then people have to start making decisions. And in our little Yellowstone world, that helped ramp the show up into a boil.”

Related: ‘Yellowstone’ Stars Break Their Silence Amid Series Finale Backlash

Filming Without Costner ‘Felt Different’

Last month, Grimes told People Magazine that Costner not returning to film the last Yellowstone episodes had “a finality to it.”

“Him not coming back felt like, ‘Okay, we’re going to have to land this plane now for real,'” Grimes stated. “I think the patriarch leaving was always going to be part of the story. That’s always where it was headed is like, what do these kids do? What does this family do when their rock is gone?”

Grimes went on to say that filming without Costner “definitely felt different.”

“He’s a big presence, man, guy’s an icon,” Grimes added. “So not having him around to set felt a little different. But as always, I mean, we’re a big family now. It was just as special and hopefully, the fans will be able to connect with the story just as much … I think they will be able to.”

Watch Grimes talk more about this in the video below.

Full Story: Luke Grimes Admits It Was Strange Not Having Kevin Costner On ‘Yellowstone’ Set For Final Episodes – ‘Definitely Felt Different’

‘The Conflict Was Gone’ When Costner Left

That being said, Grimes admitted last week that there were some positives to not having Costner on set.

“Hopefully everyone can see that it was time,” Grimes told Esquire. “To be really honest, there was a part of Kevin being gone that meant some of the conflict was gone.”

“Obviously, it didn’t make it super fun to be around,” he continued. “Not pointing any fingers, but it was actually the easiest season we’ve filmed.”

As for Costner, he’s never publicly expressed any regrets about leaving Yellowstone when he did. We can only hope that this was the right decision for him!