Kevin Costner Career: Lawsuits and Recent Challenges

Kevin Costner is reportedly facing struggles in his Hollywood career and finding it challenging to land “leading-man” roles in movies.

This comes after his contentious exit from “Yellowstone,” marked with accusations of physical assault against his co-star, Wes Bentley, as well as alleged issues with show creator Taylor Sheridan.

Kevin Costner has also faced several lawsuits in recent times, including a legal fight with a stunt double on his Western epic “Horizon 2,” who accused him of sexual harassment.

The past couple of years have been quite rough for Kevin Costner, after he made headlines for several wrong reasons.

Back in 2023, he went through a very public and heartbreaking split from his wife of 18 years, Christine Baumgartner. The following year, he controversially exited hit show “Yellowstone,” after which reports claimed he lunged at castmate Wes Bentley, as well as got involved in a “power struggle” with Taylor Sheridan.

His woes compounded after The Hollywood Reporter released a scathing exposé titled “How Kevin Lost Hollywood,” where they highlighted the fallout with his castmate and the several lawsuits he has been served.

This and more is what seems to be affecting his standing, with a source telling Us Weekly that Costner is in “a polite decline mode.”

“The Hollywood sentiment toward Kevin is changing and is kind of in a polite decline mode,” the insider shared. “There are insurance considerations about too many issues on set. No one’s blackballing him, but the phone has stopped ringing for leading-man money.”

Despite what seems to be a career decline, Costner has reportedly set his sights on making a comeback in 2026, with a source saying he has been feeling “introspective” over the past few years since his split from his ex-wife, Baumgartner.

“This period of life has been a huge adjustment for Kevin,” a second source told the news outlet.

“Kevin has spent the last year trying to figure out what’s next for him,” the insider explained, adding that “he’s embracing the journey.”

“He’s telling his inner circle that 2026 is his redemption year,” one source noted.

Costner’s “introspective” efforts couldn’t be coming at a better time,  as reports suggest the negative press has been eating away at him, even though he knows how to dissociate himself from the never-ending talks.

“Kevin was devastated and furious [after reading the THR story]. He cares way more than he lets on,” a source told the news outlet.

They continued, “I don’t think the THR piece would have a huge impact on Kevin. He’s taken so many hits through the years, and he doesn’t engage with the press or pay attention to it, really.”

True to his hardworking nature, Costner is understood to be plotting a comeback with reports suggesting he has been tapped to play former President Bill Clinton in a political drama series titled “United.”

After investing a lot of money into his film franchise, “Horizon,” a source said Costner now “needs to work.”

They noted that the critical and commercial failure of his Western films hit the actor hard, coupled with his expensive divorce from Baumgartner.

The second source who spoke to Us Weekly added that Costner “has a lot of expenses and has spent a lot of his money.”

They explained that the actor has been expressing how he “does not have the money people think he has,” and can’t wait to be back in Hollywood, “doing the work he’s known for.”