Kevin Costner Admits Divorce From His Ex-Wife ‘Hurt’ Him

Kevin Costner is reflecting on his former marriage. The “Yellowstone” star was married to Christine Baumgartner for 18 years before they split up in May 2023 after the latter filed for divorce.

In a new interview, the actor described the split as a “crushing moment,” but his responsibilities to his children helped him move on.

Kevin Costner previously discussed his biggest regret following his divorce and how he and Christine Baumgartner “couldn’t go the distance.”

During his recent appearance on “CBS Mornings,” Costner opened up once again about his divorce from Baumgartner.

The two share three children — Cayden Wyatt, 17, Hayes Logan, 15, and Grace Avery, 14 — whom Costner continues to support with monthly child support payments.

According to the two-time Academy Awards winner, the loss of his marriage took an emotional toll on him, one that he found shocking.

He described the divorce as “a crushing moment,” adding, “It’s powerful and it hurt.” Although the actor didn’t specify how long he mourned, he did reveal that the key to moving on was his need to be there for his children, knowing that they are “looking at” him.

“I have to go forward, I have to continue to be who I am and keep a special eye on who they are,” the 69-year-old added, per Page Six.

According to reports, Baumgartner hopes to marry Costner’s financier friend, Josh Connor, soon and take their relationship to the next level.

The two were romantically linked even before Baumgartner finalized her divorce from her ex, Costner. However, despite the duo being spotted together before the end of her marriage, Baumgartner has denied dating Connor during that period.

The financier is believed to have already shared his marriage plans for Baumgartner with his associates, although it is unclear whether the couple has set a date. To him, the blonde beauty is “worth it,” and he doesn’t mind blending their two families.

“Josh knows he can give her what Kevin didn’t, even though he is a high-powered executive with his own demanding career,” said an insider, per theDaily Mail.

They added, “He also knows how important her children are to her – as his are to him. Trying to blend two families isn’t easy, but she’s worth it.”

For his GQ cover last month, Costner detailed how he motivated himself to remain sane while juggling his commitments to his “Horizon” franchise and his responsibilities to his children amid the loss of his marriage.

“I’m not going to lose myself. I’ve taken big bites out of life, life’s taken big ones out of me, right? I’m not going to lose myself because I’ve been bruised,” the actor recalled telling himself.

He added, “I have been, but I’m not going to lose myself. And what I’m going to do is—because we are now after the white whale, okay? So I can’t let go of this rope no matter how much my heart’s on the ground, no matter how broken I may be on a daily basis, I can’t let go of this rope because if I do, this thing called Horizon will stop.”

Following Costner’s split from Baumgartner, the actor has been romantically linked with singer Jewel after they were captured being cozy around guests during a private charity event on a mutual friend’s island.

However, during his appearance on “The Howard Stern Show” earlier in the month, he refuted the rumors, saying he and the singer had “never gone out.”

“Jewel and I are friends. We’ve never gone out, ever,” Costner told Stern. “She’s special, and … I don’t want these rumors to ruin our friendship because that’s what we have. She’s special to me. She’s beautiful enough to go out with.”

He added, “‘I’ve had conversations with her, text-wise, and she’s so smart, and she’s been through a lot herself, and so we have a friendship. We don’t have a romance, and we’ve not dated.”

With Costner having assured fans that he is still single, many have raised questions about what he’s looking for in his next relationship.

Fox News Digital caught up with the actor recently and was able to get a vague answer from the veteran actor.

“I had two unique relationships,” Costner told the outlet, referencing his marriage to Cindy Silva and Baumgartner.

He went on to reveal that his next partner must be a “person who wants to be loved, and they want to be, you know … feel like they’re at their very best. And that love helps that and doesn’t hinder it.”

Costner was married to Silva for 16 years before divorcing in 1994. Then, in 2004, he got married to Baumgartner and split up in 2023.

Apart from the three children Costner shares with Baumgartner, he also has three other children with Silva, namely Annie, Lily, and Joe, and a son, Liam, from his relationship with Bridget Rooney.