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'Yellowstone' actor had only 24 hours to digest the news his beloved character was being killed off

Yellowstone's final season shocked fans with multiple deaths, but this actor had just one day’s notice about his character's fate

'Yellowstone' may have ended with a lackluster final season, but the controversies persist. The season's slow pace and character-driven plot diverged from its usual high-stakes drama. One of the most shocking moments was the death of Denim Richards' character, Colby Mayfield, who fans hoped would end up with Teeter (Jen Landon). His tragic death at the hands of a man-eating horse left fans heartbroken.

The death of Colby Mayfield wasn’t just devastating for fans—it was also a shock to actor Denim Richards. He revealed that he learned of his character's heartbreaking fate just a day before receiving the script. "I found out, I think, about maybe a day before they sent me the scripts... I got the call that this was what was going to be happening," Richards told Entertainment Weekly. He added, "So much of our lives have been tied to this amazing show for so long, but the job in and of itself when you deduce it down to its simplest form, is to serve the story and to hopefully be living a real experience."

Richards also highlighted his commitment to the story, expressing, "I hope that we were able to do with Colby the last five seasons." He spoke about the hardships of the cowboy life, noting, "Yeah, the cowboy life isn't for the faint of heart," especially considering the tough filming conditions in Montana. Reflecting on the show's blend of light and heavy moments, Richards added, "It gets mashed between the big sky country on horseback with the cattle and poker and bars and whisky drinking, and then all of a sudden we kind of pepper in some tragedy... it kind of emulates a little bit of life."

Richards wasn't the only star bidding farewell to the 'Yellowstone' universe in the final season. The deaths of key characters John (Kevin Costner) and Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) also marked the end of an era. While Jamie’s death had been expected, fans were stunned by the shocking demise of John, the show's central character. Even more surprising was the fact that John’s exit was prompted by an offscreen feud between Costner and creator Taylor Sheridan.

In response to rumors of a feud with Costner over scheduling conflicts, Sheridan addressed the speculation, claiming it was blown out of proportion by third-party comments, as per US Weekly. He explained, “Once lawyers get involved, then people don’t get to talk to each other and start saying things that aren’t true... and attempt to shift blame based on how the press or public seem to be reacting.” Sheridan also faced significant backlash from 'Yellowstone' fans for his unnecessary cameos in the series finale.