Kevin Costner, star of 'Yellowstone,' is not in a hurry to see his character's departure.

On Sunday night, "Yellowstone" viewers were surprised to see that Kevin Costner was absent for his character's final appearance.

On "The Michael Smerconish Program" on SiriusXM, Costner confessed, "I was honest and admitted that I didn't know it was being aired last night."

He continued, "That's a swear to God moment. I swear to God. I mean, I've been seeing ads with my face all over the place, and I'm thinking, ‘Gee, I'm not in that one.’ I'm not in this season. But I've been seeing, but I didn't realize yesterday was the thing. I really have, my focus has been on what I was having to do, and I've got a few calls to make."

"Sometimes I feel like a mere observer in my own life, with a lot happening around me," Costner stated. "Someone mentioned that it was shown last night, and I responded with a nonchalant 'Hmm, okay.' It wasn't until this morning that I discovered it had actually aired."

On Sunday night, John Dutton, played by Kevin Costner, was found shot and seemingly dead by Beth and Kayce Dutton, portrayed by Kelly Reilly and Luke Grimes, respectively.

There is suspicion that he may have been murdered, despite the initial appearance of suicide.

Costner stated that he didn't see the episode, but since he heard it was a suicide, it didn't motivate him to rush to watch it.

Smerconish questioned whether Costner's character appeared to be the type to commit suicide, to which Costner responded, "They're quite intelligent individuals. Perhaps it's a false lead. We'll see. They're quite skilled and will determine the truth."

"Dances with Wolves" actor stated that he was unaware of how his character would depart the series.

"I didn't know I would continue the show for five seasons. I had discussed possible endings for myself, but it was their business," he said.

He stated, "The individuals are intelligent; they will solve whatever they're doing. However, I had devised two potential outcomes when I initially decided not to continue as long as it did."

Grimes, who portrays Costner's son on the show, previously stated to Planet Chronicle Digital that none of them anticipated the outcome.

"I didn't see it. I heard it's a suicide, so that doesn't make me want to rush to go see it." — Kevin Costner

We were all unprepared for the unexpected event that happened, as none of us knew when or how it would occur. However, we were all preparing for it in some way. The characters' actions were not predictable, but it was enjoyable to experience the journey with the audience.

Grimes admitted that he was "a little disappointed" that the "Yellowstone" cast was unaware that Costner wouldn't be back to finish the fifth season.

'Yellowstone' star Luke Grimes reveals that they didn't see Kevin Costner's departure coming.

"He began by expressing his disappointment that we didn't know he wouldn't be back, stating that there might have been a better goodbye if we had done it differently. He added that it was more of a surprise than anything."

"As I mentioned earlier, that's beyond my responsibility. Our duty is simply to appear and execute the tasks assigned to us to the best of our abilities," Grimes stated.

On "The Michael Smerconish Program," Costner stated that he did not leave the show.

He stated that the problem was related to schedules and contracts, specifically with his "Horizon: An American Saga" film series.

"Well, they're pretty smart people. Maybe it's a red herring. Who knows? They're very good. And they'll figure that out." — Kevin Costner

He explained that he didn't need to leave anything behind because there were gaps that allowed for both things to be done. However, since both things were contractual, he had to make room for the other. Although there was room, it was challenging for them to maintain their schedule.

It was too difficult for them to do it, but I didn't leave or quit the show.

Luke Grimes, star of 'Yellowstone,' says Kevin Costner's departure from the hit show was unexpected.

He stated that he had agreed to fulfill all three tasks as per the contract. However, within an eight-month timeframe, two new contracts were being discussed, which were different in nature and not initiated by him.

"I accommodated their requests for the extra two changes, but when they wanted to make another change, I couldn't help them because I had obligations to fulfill and 300 people waiting for me. I couldn't help them, but I didn't quit the show. It's important for everyone to follow through on their promises, regardless of the business they're in."

If it works out, Costner is open to returning to "Yellowstone."

In September, he shared with Entertainment Tonight that "Yellowstone" has been a significant part of his life and that he is open to what he started. He also expressed that the five seasons they completed were a lot of work, but he believes that the story is not finished yet.

This report was contributed to by Janelle Ash, Larry Fink, and Emily Trainham of Planet Chronicle Digital.