Luke Grimes lifts curtain on John Dutton’s shocking exit from 'Yellowstone'

Luke Grimes opened up about John Dutton's tragic fate in Yellowstone in the wake of negative reactions from the fans.

In an interview with People, the 40-year-old actor revealed that the death of Kevin Costner’s character on the show’s November 10 return was predetermined.

"There’s been some negative reactions," Grimes addressed fans’ reaction, who were left reeling after Dutton was found dead from a fatal gunshot wound in the final minutes of the episode.

"I think they feel sort of cheated. And what I would say to that is, I think we were all lucky to have Kevin on the show as long as we did," he added.

"It was always the plan for him to go away for the story to really ramp up," Grimes continued. "That was the story. You lose a patriarch of the family. Can the kids do it on their own?"

Grimes, who recently welcomed his first child with wife Bianca Rodrigues Grimes, also revealed that Dutton’s death was planned long ago.

"I think originally he was supposed to die much earlier," he shared. "So, in a way, they got way more of John Dutton than they were originally going to get. I would keep that in mind."

In the hit drama, Grimes played Kayce Dutton, the youngest son of Dutton, which follows the Dutton family as they navigate the challenges of maintaining their vast ranching empire.

Costner, 69, portrayed the Dutton patriarch for five seasons, from 2018 until his character died in the November 10 episode.