Kevin Costner Will ‘Probably Go to Court’ Over ‘Yellowstone’ Season 5 Salary

Kevin Costner is done with Yellowstone, but there may still be unfinished business between him and the show. In a recent court appearance in regard to his divorce, the Oscar-winning actor said it's likely he'll have to "go to court" to try to claim money he believes is still owing in his contract for Season 5 of the hit television program.

Costner appeared in divorce court on Friday (Sept. 1) to answer his estranged wife, Christine Baumgartner, in her child support claim. Costner says he is set to earn significantly less in 2023 than he did in 2022 due to his leaving Yellowstone, which he says came after the producers' decision to split Season 5 into two parts.

Costner was unable to come to an agreement for the second half of Season 5. The actor testified that "they still hadn't finished" the first half of the season while negotiations were ongoing, and there were "no scripts written" for the second half. A "pay or play" deal didn't work out, and Costner says he was supposed to earn $12 million for each half of Season 5.

He was even trying to work things out for Season 6, but he says he could "not help them anymore" after moving the shooting schedule for his sprawling, four-part Western, Horizon: An American Saga, once to accommodate them.

Costner testified that he told his representatives to “have them pay me whatever number, we came up with a number, and they [Yellowstone] walked away." He responded, "I will probably go to court over it" when asked if he was still supposed to receive the money for the second half of Season 5.

Paramount Network confirmed in May that Yellowstone will come to an end after the second half of Season 5 airs. Costner's character of John Dutton will reportedly die early in the new episodes, with the rest of the last season devoted to resolving the fallout after his death. A Yellowstone sequel is set to begin right after the show concludes, with Matthew McConaughey rumored to star. The details of that show are not yet announced.

As part of Taste of Country's comprehensive coverage of all things Yellowstone, check out our Dutton Rules podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.