When most of the Yellowstone cast were last-minute no-shows at PaleyFest LA 2023 in April, fans were told the show’s stars couldn’t attend due to “scheduling conflicts.” For Kelly Reilly, who plays Beth Dutton, that was true — only she gave notice of her absence months earlier in January. It was that month that the Paley Center for Media announced Reilly and co-stars Kevin Costner, Cole Hauser, Luke Grimes, Kelsey Asbille, Wes Bentley, Gil Birmingham, Jacki Weaver, and creator Taylor Sheridan would be in attendance for a Q&A panel, with series executive producer David Glasser saying in a statement that “it will be great seeing our incredible fans in person and talking all things Yellowstone.”
But 30 minutes before the cast was expected to walk the red carpet, the press received notice that only cast members Josh Lucas, Wendy Moniz, Mo Brings Plenty, and Dawn Olivieri were in attendance, alongside Paramount Network development president Keith Cox. It was another dramatic development in the off-screen Yellowstone drama that had been play ing out for weeks, coming amid reports that John Dutton actor and executive producer Costner was potentially exiting the hit series after five seasons.
“I was filming in the UK at the time, and let them know in January I wouldn’t be able to attend,” Reilly replied to a fan on Instagram when asked about the cast’s absence at PaleyFest. “I was sorry to hear my name was still on the list of attendees, as it is unfair to our fans.”
In response to the Yellowstone PaleyFest panel drop out drama, Cox said during the April 1st panel that Costner is “our star, the face of our show, and the executive producer,” adding that “we are very confident he will continue with the show” despite being a no-show for the panel promoting season 5. Cox’s comment was in line with what a Paramount Network spokesperson had to say about reports the studio was developing a franchise expansion with Matthew McConaughey starring.
“Kevin Costner is a big part of Yellowstone and we hope that’s the case for a long time to come,” a network spokesperson said at the time. “Thanks to the brilliant mind of Taylor Sheridan, we are always working on franchise expansions of this incredible world he has built. Matthew McConaughey is a phenomenal talent with whom we’d love to partner.”