Awkward moment Kevin Costner shuts down Gayle King as he refuses to discuss rumored feud with Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan

Kevin Costner quickly fired Gayle King when she tried to investigate how his alleged demands for more money and reported behind-the-scenes feuds led to him leaving Yellowstone.

The 69-year-old actor was vague when he formally announced his departure from the beloved Paramount western last week, amid mounting speculation about issues involving pay, scheduling and claims that he had clashed with creator Taylor Sheridan.

Kevin appeared on Thursday’s episode of CBS Mornings and insisted that he “loved” the show and would go back “in a second,” but declined to reveal any information about what actually happened.

“I loved the show more than anyone,” he told Gayle, also 69. “It was Taylor and myself. The truth never changes. That love was very strong.

‘The idea of ​​going back, I would do that if I felt it was something I could do, wanted to do. I would make it fit.”

CBS Mornings star Gayle King, 69, referred to reports that payment disputes and scheduling conflicts had led to Kevin’s departure from the show

Kevin, 69, played John Dutton III in the TV series and told Gayle he would ‘love’ to return (pictured with co-star Dabney Coleman)

Gayle then expressed her confusion and asked what was keeping Kevin from returning to Yellowstone. At the same time, she brought up the widespread reports of a feud.

“But the characterization of you is not necessarily flattering,” she said. ‘You’ve made demands, you want to have a certain schedule, you want to shoot at a certain time, you want certain money.

“If it’s not that hard, why can’t you two figure it out? People would like to see that.’

However, Kevin quickly ended Gayle’s line of questioning and replied firmly, “It’s not therapy, Gayle.

“Honestly, we’re not really going to discuss this on the show.”

“I’m a good therapist,” Gayle interjected as Kevin talked about her.

“I’ve lived my life in a pretty simple way,” he said.

“I’ve never missed an obligation in my entire career, so the idea is open to me. It’s just, can I fall in love with the writing, can I fall in love with the part that wants to move forward?”

Kevin declined to answer Gayle’s questions about reported breakups: “It’s not therapy, Gayle. We’re not really going to discuss this on the show, honestly.”

There are rumors of a feud between the actor and Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan (photo)

Kevin confirmed earlier this month that he would not return to Yellowstone.

In a short clip shared on his social media accounts, he said: “Hello everyone. I just wanted to reach out and let you know that after this long year and a half of working on Horizon and doing all the things that it takes, and thinking about Yellowstone – that beloved series that I love, that I know you loves it – I just realized that I can’t continue season 5B or in the future.

‘It was something that really changed me.

“I loved it, and I know you loved it, and I just wanted to let you know that I’m not coming back.”

The actor and director wrapped up with what may have been a plea to his fans to see his upcoming Horizon films.

“I love the relationship we’ve been able to develop, and I’ll see you in the movie,” he added.

The announcement meant that Kevin’s final batch of episodes was for season 5A, which aired from November 2022 to January 2023.

His character, the patriarch of the Dutton family, ran the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, a fictional ranch that was the largest in Montana.

Kevin pictured in a scene from Yellowstone with his costar, Dabney

It bordered Yellowstone National Park and the Broken Rock Indian Reservation, often putting the wealthy family at odds with their Native American neighbors and greedy developers who wanted to grab their land.

Before his official announcement, there had been reports that Kevin had clashed with producers behind the scenes over pay and scheduling.

It was claimed that he wanted to cut down on shooting days this season to allow for the filming of Horizon.

Last week, Kevin said he was “disappointed” that no one high up in Yellowstone publicly supported him after his departure.

He told People: ‘I read all the stories. I was disappointed that no one on their side… ever stood up to defend what I was actually doing for them.

“There came a point where I thought, ‘Wow, when is someone going to say something about what I did and what I didn’t do?’

The A-lister said he enjoyed playing the role of John Dutton III during his five-season stint on the series between 2018 and 2022.

He said he had been patiently anticipating the show’s storyline and shooting schedule for more than a year, but ultimately “the scripts weren’t there.”

“There was a point where that show stopped for me for 14 months,” he said. ‘That’s the fact. There was a lot I could have done at that time, but I didn’t know it [hold-up] would happen.’

Kevin admitted that he was irritated by reports that he was leaving the series to work on his film series, or that he was only making himself available for one week of filming, the publication reported.

“In the end, I couldn’t do more than I already had,” he said of the show.

He also said that he initially only agreed to participate in one season of the series.

‘When it was first pitched to me by Taylor, it was one season and [like] a long movie, that one [is] I speak my language…but ultimately I think what happened was the studio didn’t want that,” he told the outlet.

“And because he’s such a prolific writer, he said, ‘I can do that. I can make a series that will continue.’