Kevin Costner didn’t have an easy time dealing with the aftermath of his divorce from ex-wife Christine Baumgartner.
“That’s a crushing moment,” Costner, 69, said during an interview on CBS Mornings with Gayle King on Thursday, June 27. “It hurt, but I go forward.”
The Yellowstone actor, who split from Baumgartner, 50, last year, noted that he had “no choice” but to move forward because of his children. (The former couple share sons Cayden, 17, and Hayes, 15, along with daughter Grace, 14. Costner also shares daughters Annie, 40, and Lily, 37, and son Joe, 36, with ex-wife Cindy Silva as well as son Liam, 26, with Bridget Rooney.)
“My children are looking at me, so I can’t wilt like a daisy,” he continued on Thursday. “I have to go forward. I have to continue to be who I am and to keep a special eye on who they are.”
Baumgartner filed for divorce from Costner in May 2023 after nearly 19 years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for their split.
“It is with great sadness that circumstances beyond his control have transpired which have resulted in Mr. Costner having to participate in a dissolution of marriage action,” Costner’s rep said in a statement to TMZ at the time. “We ask that his, Christine’s, and their children’s privacy be respected as they navigate this difficult time.”
That same month, a source told Us Weekly that Costner’s Yellowstone filming schedule was “one of the reasons” why he and Baumgartner split.
“Christine wasn’t happy with Yellowstone’s schedule delays because it caused him to miss so much time with his family,” the insider shared.
Following the announcement, the pair went through a tumultuous legal battle over child support, but they finally came to a settlement in September 2023. Details about their agreement have not been made public.
After their messy divorce, several outlets reported in January that Baumgartner had moved on with Costner’s friend Josh Connor after they were spotted together. (Baumgartner previously testified in court in July 2023 that the twosome were just friends.)
“Kevin had strong suspicions that something was going on between Christine and Josh. Their close [bond] was a real elephant in the room,” another source told Us in January, adding that Connor and Baumgartner’s relationship turned romantic “relatively recently” and that he had been her “rock” throughout the divorce.
Costner, for his part, was rumored to be dating Jewel, but he later insisted they were just pals.
“Jewel and I are friends — we’ve never gone out,” he said during a June episode of The Howard Stern Show. “She’s special, and I don’t want these rumors to ruin our friendship because that’s what we have.”
