By now, Yellowstone fans have heard almost every possible story behind the series’ chaotic end — but new reports reveal that tensions on set ran even hotter than anyone knew.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, a heated physical confrontation reportedly took place between Kevin Costner and Wes Bentley during the filming of Yellowstone season 5, while shooting a scene in Utah that also featured Kelly Reilly (Beth Dutton).

The alleged shoving match adds a new layer to the already well-documented feud between Costner and series creator Taylor Sheridan, which eventually led to the series halting production and rewriting its ending without its lead star.

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Inside the Reported On-Set Clash

An unnamed source told THR that the altercation erupted when Costner — who played patriarch John Dutton — suggested that Bentley play his scene “however he wanted,” instead of sticking to Sheridan’s script. Bentley, who portrays the embattled Jamie Dutton, reportedly snapped back:

“I signed up for a Taylor Sheridan show, not a Kevin Costner production.”

That remark apparently set Costner off. The source claimed the exchange quickly escalated to “pushing and shoving,” with the two actors having to be separated before things got worse.

“Kevin didn’t like that, and he lunged at him,” the source alleged. “No fists were thrown, but they were in each other’s faces… it was tense.”

Kelly Reilly, who was filming the same sequence, was reportedly “in tears” as crew members intervened. Production was temporarily shut down following the incident, according to the report.

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Fallout and Feud: How It All Fell Apart

The alleged incident reflects the mounting behind-the-scenes tensions that plagued Yellowstone’s final season. Costner’s feud with Sheridan and Paramount over scheduling, contracts, and creative control had already thrown the series into turmoil.

Paramount executives accused Costner of unreasonable filming demands due to his commitment to his passion project, Horizon: An American Saga, while Costner claimed that Sheridan’s delays and unfinished scripts caused the scheduling chaos.

Not long after the reported Bentley altercation, Costner officially departed Yellowstone. Sheridan reworked the season’s second half — ultimately killing off John Dutton off-screen — and shifted focus toward multiple spin-offs to continue the Dutton legacy.

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Costner’s Horizon Troubles Continue

Following his Yellowstone exit, Costner doubled down on his Western ambitions with Horizon, his self-financed multi-part film epic. But the first installment, released earlier this year, was both a critical and box-office disappointment.

To make matters worse, Costner’s production company has since faced multiple lawsuits, including:

• A suit from New Line Cinema and City National Bank alleging unpaid financing.

• Claims of hundreds of thousands in unpaid costuming and production fees.

• A stunt performer’s lawsuit alleging on-set misconduct during an “unscripted” assault scene.

Costner has denied all allegations, calling them “bold-faced lies.”

Since then, he’s largely stepped away from Hollywood blockbusters, appearing instead in documentaries and historical series for Fox Nation.

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The Future of the Yellowstone Universe

Despite the drama, the Yellowstone franchise is far from over. Creator Taylor Sheridan has multiple spin-offs in development across CBS and Paramount+:

• Y: Marshals – starring Luke Grimes (Kayce Dutton) in a task-force procedural.

• Dutton Ranch – a direct sequel featuring Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser.

• The Madison – introducing new faces to the Yellowstone-verse, including Matthew Fox, Kurt Russell, and Michelle Pfeiffer.

Grimes later told Esquire that filming without Costner was “the easiest season we’ve done,” adding that “some of the conflict was gone” when the actor departed.