Kevin Costner reminded Gayle King that an interview “isn’t therapy,” as she pressed him for answers about his departure from “Yellowstone” and his relationship with creator Taylor Sheridan.
“This isn’t therapy Gayle – I mean, we’re not going to discuss this on the show,” Kostner said in a Thursday interview on CBS Mornings.
Costner had joined King to discuss his upcoming four-part movie series “Horizon: An American Saga.” King, on the other hand, tried to use the interview to gain some insight on why he really left “Yellowstone.” She attempted to bring up speculation by sharing that fans believe “Horizon” is what caused problems on “Yellowstone” — saying this was a matter of Sheridan and Costner having a “big ego” competition.
“People say this about the two of you — both big egos, both very powerful, both at the top of their game, and that right now, maybe, the two of you are playing a game of whose is bigger … do you see it that way? Whose is bigger, Kevin?” she joked with the actor.
Costner was quick to shut down what King was implying. He informed her that he has nothing but love for the show and would even consider coming back if he felt it was right.
“Before anybody, it was Taylor and myself. The truth never changes; that love was very strong. The idea of going back … I would do that in a second if I felt it was something I could do or wanted to do. I would make it fit. Nothing changes there. There’s no games with me. There’s just the way you choose to live your life,” he told King.
Gayle continued to press Costner, and told him his current characterization “isn’t necessarily flattering” due to the situation. “If it’s not that hard, why can’t the two of you be able to work it out?” she continued.
This led Costner to tell Gayle that he wasn’t there for a therapy session, to which she replied — “I’m a good therapist though,” before finally letting it go.
Costner confirmed his departure from the final season in a short instagram video, captioned: “An update for you guys. I’ll see you at the movies.”
“Hi everyone. I just want 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’s required, and thinking about “Yellowstone” — that beloved series that I love — that I know you love. I just realized that I’m not going to be able to continue Season 5b or into the future,” he said in the video.
“Horizon: An American Saga” Chapter 1 hits theaters on June 28.