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In April 2026 — a month before Dutton Ranch made its Paramount+ debut — it was reported that showrunner Chad Feehan had exited the series following alleged "behind-the-scenes friction with series stars Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly, as well as 'other key players' such as Taylor Sheridan."
Puck News added, "Feehan finished the first season but has been told he won’t return for the second, per three sources. (I think the feeling was mutual and Feehan likely would have bailed anyway.)
"This was less of a pure creative issue, I’m told — the scripts were good, and after some work on the cut, Paramount is confident in the show — and more about how Feehan ran the production. Sheridan, producer David Glasser, and the stars weren’t happy, so Feehan’s out, and Sheridan and Glasser will likely elevate another season 1 writer to the showrunner gig."
Hauser cryptically denied any friction exclusively to TechRadar, explaining before the show's premiere, "Taylor's got his hands all over this show. That's the only way he knows how to do things.
"Look, you're gonna go through your ups and downs, through this business, and it's about adapting. That's what we did."
Five episodes of the Yellowstone spinoff down and another star has come to Hauser's aide, claiming that there was "no disruption" while stars were on set.
'As actors, we're there to complete the task'
"Not at all," Berto Colón, who plays Miguel on Dutton Ranch, confirms when I ask if he felt as though the Chad Feehan rumors had any truth to them.
"I met Chad a bunch of times, but I don't know what the deal is. That's something that's above my pay grade. As actors, we're there to make sure that we complete a task and to make sure we complete it as truthfully as possible.
He continues, "The ongoings that happen behind the scenes is something that I'm not involved with, but as far as energy and what we did, everyone who came on board, tuned into what the story needed to be like."
"I didn't see any disruption of that process. I just love everyone there. I love what that they're about."
As Dutton Ranch season 2 hasn't been confirmed as of writing, we're yet to see which new showrunner would step into Feehan's shoes. Rumors suggest a lead writer would be picked from the job, but if you've followed my week-on-week coverage, you'll know that I'm advocating for Sheridan to resume the position himself (he's currently an executive producer).
As for a renewal, Colón says "There needs to be a continuation to this. I don't have any actual carnal knowledge of that, I just know that the numbers speak for themselves. If any show deserves a few more seasons, it's this one."
Dutton Ranch will continue airing its first nine episodes until July 3.
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