Kevin Costner has confirmed that he won’t be returning to Yellowstone after season five was split into two parts and the final episodes aired in November last year

Kevin Costner has dropped a bombshell, announcing he won’t be returning to “Yellowstone” amid network drama and his ongoing divorce battle.

His fans were left devastated when the curtain call for the western crime show was confirmed last May after five seasons. The conclusion of the series was aired last November.

The fans’ heartache deepened as Kevin took to Instagram to break the news personally. The 69 year old actor stated: “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 – the beloved series that I love, that I know you love – I just realised that I’m not going to be able to continue Season 5b or into the future.”

His announcement spurred an outpouring of comments from his followers. A fan expressed their disappointment, writing: “Well this really sucks.”, reports the Mirror. Another wrote: “You were the heart of the show.”

His departure from the popular series comes hot on the heels of Costner’s legal dispute with his wife, Christine Baumgartner.

The curtain closed on the fifth season of “Yellowstone,” which kicked off last November and wrapped up its first half in January. Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios’ Chris McCarthy dropped the news that the latest installment marks the end of the road for the show, but teased fans with news of a sequel.

McCarthy’s statement read: “Yellowstone has been the cornerstone on which we have launched an entire universe of global hits – from 1883 to Tulsa King. I am confident our Yellowstone sequel will be another big hit, thanks to the brilliant creative mind of Taylor Sheridan and our incredible casts who bring these shows to life.”