In a shocking turn of events, Kevin Costner and his wife of 18 years, Christine Baumgartner, are getting divorced. There was no obvious or apparent rift between the two over the past few months, but Baumgartner filed for divorce on May 1 – seemingly out of nowhere – and cited irreconcilable differences.
“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. We ask that his, Christine’s, and their children’s privacy be respected as they navigate this difficult time,” a rep for Kevin Costner said on May 1.
No further details were released and it’s unclear what led to the divorce, but the couple are, in fact, going their separate ways. They’ve been married since 2004 and share three children together – sons Cayden, 15, and Hayes, 14, and daughter Grace, 12. Costner also shares four other children with two women.
However, while it has not been confirmed, a source told People that “Christine wants them to spend family time at their Santa Barbara home. During filming, Kevin is not around very much. His absence has been very hard for her.” The source continued saying, “at times, his career has taken precedence over his home life.”
Kevin Costner was married to Cindy Silva for 16 years between 1978 and 1994 – they share two sons and one daughter together. He had another son with girlfriend Bridget Rooney in 1996 and dated Birgit Cunningham and Elle Macpherson over the next few years. He met Baumgartner while dating Rooney.
In fact, Costner allegedly met Baumgartner sometime around 1996 while filming Tin Cup, but they didn’t strike up a relationship until 2000 – after his breakup with Macpherson. They dated for three years before Costner popped the big question and they tied the knot a year later on September 25, 2004, in Aspen, CO.
Costner and Baumgartner remained married for 18 years, up until their ongoing divorce. Costner has always spoken highly of his wife and even did so recently while speaking with PEOPLE in November. “My wife does things that just completely… It just helps. The house is prettier because of her,” Costner said
He also told PEOPLE that he and his wife grew much closer during the COVID-19 pandemic – which helped strengthen their relationship. The couple also celebrated together in January after Costner won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in Drama Series – they couldn’t attend the event, but threw a party at home.
This Isn’t the First Time Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner Broke Up
Despite having a long and happy marriage, the divorce between Christine Baumgartner and Kevin Costner isn’t the first time the couple broke up. The first breakup came in 2003, just a year before they got married in Aspen. The reason for the breakup? Costner wasn’t yet sure if he wanted to have more kids.
It’s something Baumgartner was extremely up-front about with Costner from the moment they started dating. “She said, ‘If you’re going to be with me, you need to know that kids are at the end of the road for me with you, if that’s going to happen,'” KevinCostner said in an interview with Extra back in 2020.
After three years of dating, the couple were at a crossroads and Costner had to decide if he was going to marry her and start a family with her, or risk losing her. He ultimately chose to marry her and the two ended up rekindling before exchanging vows. He talked about that decision to Closer Weekly in 2018.
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“I woke up and thought, ‘Am I going to lose a beautiful woman who is willing to be with me to my very last breath because I am afraid to say yes to a child?’ That’s all it took. Sometimes you learn the thing you’re most afraid of will save your life,” he told Closer Weekly. Unfortunately, they’re done for good now.
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