Yellowstone rocked by wild scandal on and off set as the show prepares for its final season

As Yellowstone ramps up for its final stretch of episodes on Paramount+, the hit Kevin Costner ranch drama has found itself embroiled in non-stop controversies behind the scenes, too.

Created by Taylor Sheridan, the show — which averages 5 million viewers per episode and saw 6.6 million viewers for its broadcast debut on CBS in September — follows Montana rancher John Dutton (Kevin Costner) and his adult children: Jamie (Wes Bentley), Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Kayce (Luke Grimes) – as well as peripheral family members such as Beth’s husband, Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) and Kayce’s wife, Monica (Kelsey Asbille).

Yellowstone will debut its final five-episode Season 5 next November. After that, it will have a spin-off series starring Matthew McConaughey. Here’s everything you need to know about all the off-set drama.

Taylor Sheridan vs. the idea that it’s a conservative show

Although Yellowstone has often been deemed a “red state” show, Sheridan has fired back at that notion.

“They refer to it as ‘the conservative show’ or ‘the Republican show’ or ‘the red-state Game of Thrones,’” Sheridan told The Atlantic in 2022. “And I just sit back laughing. I’m like, ‘Really?’”

He went on say that the show addresses topics such as, “The displacement of Native Americans and the way Native American women were treated and about corporate greed and the gentrification of the West, and land-grabbing. That’s a red-state show?” he said.

Kevin Costner’s assistant vs. Taylor Sheridan

According to Puck news, Kevin Costner’s assistant, Glenn Kleczkowski, slammed Sheridan’s other show Tulsa King, starring Sylvester Stallone.

“Stick to westerns, bro. You don’t know s**t about THIS life,” Kleczkowski allegedly wrote on Instagram, in a since-deleted post.

“Stay in your lane, country boy. I’m actually embarrassed for you as a writer and creator.”

Taylor Sheridan vs. the budget

In May 2023, a Wall Street Journal report revealed creator Sheridan’s “ridiculous” spending habits caused “internal frustration.”

According to the report, Paramount and 101 Studios pay Sheridan tens of thousands of dollars a week (on top of what he’s already paid to write, direct and produce the show) to use his various companies and services.

 

The report alleged that Sheridan rents cattle to Paramount at $25 a head, and charges up to $50,000 a week for the show to film on ranches that he owns.

 

Sheridan also reportedly billed the studio $3,000 to pay a wrangler in Texas, 1,600 miles away from set, who was looking after his own horses. He also had his preferred farrier flown out to Montana from Texas.

“Are you kidding me? We can’t find a local person?” David Glasser, the head of 101 Studios, allegedly wrote in an email to staff.

“Yellowstone” vs. Hollywood

Despite its popularity with audiences — the Season 4 finale drew a staggering 9.3 million viewers — the Yellowstone cast has often commented on the show’s award snubs, especially from the Emmys and Golden Globes.

Gil Birmingham, who plays tribal chairman Thomas Rainwater, told the Daily Mail, “Hollywood is a fickle beast.”

Wes Bentley, who plays Jamie Dutton, told the Daily Mail, “Many, many shows don’t get that recognition that deserve it, and many do get it that don’t deserve it,” he went on. “It’s just the matter of opinion of each particular academy. I know we are a success because the people are watching it.”

However, Costner finally won a Golden Globe for the show in 2023, ending the saga of “Yellowstone” getting snubbed.

Taylor Sheridan vs. Kevin Costner

Costner, 68, caused waves when he left the show in 2022.

Rumours flew around about what happened between Costner and Sheridan. At first, it was hinted that they were disputing over shooting schedules.

“Somewhere along the line they wanted to change things,” Costner said about it, according to Fox News.

“They wanted to do [Season] 5A and 5B. I was going to do my movie ‘Horizon’ and leave that show, do my movie, then do B. A show I was only doing once a year I was now doing twice.”

However, it was also reported that Sheridan has a “god complex,” which allegedly frustrated Costner, and was a source of friction between them.

“Only Taylor truly knows what is going on,” a source told The Post in April. “Taylor spent years not being truly appreciated in Hollywood, and now that he’s the top of the heap, there’s definitely some ego to all of this.”

That same month, the lead cast and Sheridan skipped PaleyFest last minute 30 minutes before the red carpet was supposed to begin at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.

The cast — Costner, Kelly Reilly, Hauser, Luke Grimes, Kelsey Asbille, Wes Bentley, Gil Birmingham and Jacki Weaver — reportedly could not attend due to scheduling conflicts. They were replaced by co-stars Josh Lucas, Wendy Moniz, Mo Brings Plenty and Dawn Olivieri.

Sheridan broke his silence about the Costner feud in June, telling the Hollywood Reporter, “My last conversation with Kevin was that he had this passion project he wanted to direct,” he said, referring to Costner’s Western movie, Horizon.

Sheridan alleged that the shooting schedule was the reason for his falling out with his star.

“He and the network were arguing about when he could be done with Yellowstone.’ I said, ‘We can certainly work a schedule toward [his preferred exit date],’ which we did,” he said.

“[I] never had an issue with Kevin that he and I couldn’t work out on the phone,” he went on.

“But, once lawyers get involved, then people don’t get to talk to each other and start saying things that aren’t true and attempt to shift blame based on how the press or public seem to be reacting … His movie seems to be a great priority to him … I sure hope it’s worth it.”

Kelsey Asbille vs. other Native American actors saying she’s not Native

Asbille, 32, identified herself as being of Cherokee descent in a 2017 interview with the New York Times. However, other Native American actors such as Adam Beach (Suicide Squad) alleged that Asbille was misrepresenting herself.

“What got me jolted by it was that I have a lot of Native female actors that need a job,” Beach, who is Saulteaux, told BuzzFeed News in 2017. “I immediately called it out.”

According to the outlet, Lakota actor and producer Sonny Skyhawk made an inquiry to the nation’s Tribal Enrollment Office, which declared that the tribe had no record of Asbille, and could not find evidence that she was a descendant.

Asbille, Costner and Sheridan didn’t comment on the issue, which also angered Beach.

“They really ignored us,” Beach slammed them.