Kevin Costner Refused To Answer One Yellowstone Question During Legal Battle

Despite becoming a massive pop culture phenomenon over the course of its five seasons, "Yellowstone" has been making many of its headlines over the last six months due to behind-the-scenes drama. Unfortunately, as star Kevin Costner has been battling it out with Paramount, he's also in the unenviable position of going through a divorce with his longtime partner Christine Baumgartner.

As details continue to trickle out regarding the separation between the two, Us Weekly has obtained court documents that show another ripple in the dispute. The report claims that Costner "refused to answer questions about whether he was offered the opportunity" to continue working on "Yellowstone" after Season 5 "or if he simply chose to quit."

The reasoning behind the question is likely due to the amount of money that Costner could have expected to make if he had opted in for Season 6 of "Yellowstone." This seems to especially be the case when you consider that the amount the John Dutton actor made per episode was a central point in the brief. As it stands, the available information suggests that Costner made an impressive $10 million for his participation in a mere eight episodes for Season 5, Part 1, adding up to $1.25 million per episode.

There is no official confirmation that Kevin Costner will be coming back at all for Season 5, Part 2 "of "Yellowstone." Still, considering how well he's being paid and how much viewer investment there is in his character, it's possible that the Dutton patriarch will return alongside the popular series in late 2024.

While there had already been plenty of fan theories that John Dutton would be killed off before the show concluded, the legal issues surrounding his return to the show make that pretty much a certainty. Whether it will be his adopted son Jamie (Wes Bentley) who ends up pulling the trigger on John, however, will remain to be seen.

Of course, fans will recall that the midseason finale for "Yellowstone" Season 5 last saw Jamie potentially planning the deaths of both his sister, Beth (Kelly Reilly) and John. While this is the most likely way for the character to go out, as it would pave the way for an explosive battle between the different branches of the family, it's worth considering that murdering the governor of Montana will come with a lot of heat for Jamie.

Though we can only wonder at this point when and if John Dutton will meet his end or how much of Season 5, Part 2 he'll end up being in, it's likely that fans will be anxiously waiting for "Yellowstone" to finally return so that they can see what happens to the show's central character.