Costner was ready to get back in the saddle.
A new report by Puck News claims that Kevin Costner’s agents were “basically begging” Taylor Sheridan and Paramount to let Costner, 68, return to the Western drama for the second half of the series’ fifth season.
In an effort to re-secure their client’s spot in the show, Costner’s reps allegedly managed to arrange a phone call between themselves and Sheridan, 53, who had written most of the fifth season’s second half under the belief that Costner would not be returning.
Although Sheridan was reportedly willing to rewrite in order to continue John Dutton’s storyline, Costner’s alleged demands for more money, a reduced shooting schedule and script approval ended the negotiations.
The Post reached out to Costner and Sheridan for comment.
The report comes as he and his estranged wife Christine Baumgartner have finally reached a divorce settlement, with Costner giving his ex more money than their prenup dictated.
TMZ reported on Tuesday that Baumgartner, 49, signed off on a three-page settlement agreement after a judge informed her that their prenuptial agreement would be enforced. The details of the settlement are unknown, but Baumgartner’s $850,000 legal fees request will not be granted.
According to TMZ, Costner’s legal team filed a motion asking if his ex-wife completely understood what she signed.
“Christine asserts she cannot admit or deny that she understood the Premarital Agreement because she (and apparently all of her attorneys) do not understand the word ‘understand,’” the court docs read, per the outlet.
Costner’s lawyer, Laura Wasser, wrote in the filing, “Christine’s counsel asked for a definition of ‘understood’ and Kevin’s counsel provided the dictionary meaning of the word ‘understood,’ to wit, ‘comprehended or perceive the intended meaning of words.’”
The outlet later reported that should the former model decide to challenge the prenup, she would have to return the $1.5 million that Costner gave her and pay his attorney’s fees.
Baumgartner filed for divorce in May after 18 years of marriage. The exes share three children: sons Cayden, 16, and Hayes, 14, and daughter Grace, 13. Although the “Field of Dreams” actor was initially ordered to pay her $129,000 per month in child support, his payment was later reduced to $63,000 per month.
Costner’s messy divorce battle gave more insight into his exit from “Yellowstone.” Earlier this month, court documents revealed that he “concluded his work” on the series last year. He claimed he discussed participating in a sixth season with producers, but negotiations failed. “There were issues about creative,” he said. “I tried to break the log jam. They walked away.”
Additionally, Costner wasn’t pleased that the final fifth season would be filmed in two parts. “I was going to do my movie ‘Horizon’ and leave that show, do my movie, then do [the second half],” he said. “A show I was only doing once a year I was now doing twice.”
Costner officially announced his exit from the drama in June. Creator Taylor Sheridan later commented that he was “disappointed” by the decision.
“My opinion of Kevin as an actor hasn’t altered. His creation of John Dutton is symbolic and powerful,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “It truncates the closure of his character. It doesn’t alter it, but it truncates it.”
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