Kevin Costner says that Yellowstone still owes him salary for the second part of Season 5 and that he’ll “probably go to court over it.”
According to People, the actor recently spoke during a child support hearing as his divorce from Christine Baumgartner moves forward.
During the Santa Barbara hearing, Costner was asked if he will be receiving his salary for the second half of Season 5, to which he replied: “I will probably go to court over it.”
He added that his exit was a direct result of the Season 5 split, which he said was a “long, hard-fought negotiation.”
It has been previously reported that Costner would be exiting the hit series. During the hearing, the star expressed frustration with not being able to continue doing the show.
The actor was forced to make a decision as he became less available as the show progressed. He was slated to begin shooting Horizon: An American Saga, the first of a four-part movie franchise that he was to star in.
Costner says he “changed” his schedule to make it work for the first part of Season 5, but scripts had not even been written for part two of Season 5. Reportedly, a “pay or play” clause that exists in his contract means that he should have still received $12 million for that second half of Season 5 (just as he should have for the first half).
MTV Entertainment Studios as well as Costner’s attorneys have not yet commented on the matter.
Fans have been wondering if the actor would have returned for Season 6 if negotiations had gone well. “I’ve been told it’s a little disappointing that [it’s] the #1 show on TV, I’m not participating,” said Costner.
“I couldn’t help them any more. We tried to negotiate, they offered me less money than previous seasons, there were issues with the creative,” he said.
Yellowstone is executive produced by creator Taylor Sheridan and produced by Paramount Global’s MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios. It was announced in May that the series would officially come to an end with the second half of Season 5 and that an untitled sequel series starring Matthew McConaughey was in the works.
Paramount Network had originally aimed for November as the premiere date for the second half of Yellowstone Season 5, but that is no longer possible due to the writers and actors strikes.