Ah, the holiday season. If you have a big, happy family that hasn’t dealt with the capital “D” word, it’s probably a lot easier. Kevin Costner, who settled a divorce with ex-wife Christine Baumgartner a couple of years ago, got real about what it’s like to get his family together for Thanksgiving and Christmas these days.
Kevin Costner has seven children across three relationships. His eldest kids are with ex-wife Cindy Silva, including 41-year-old Annie, 39-year-old Lily, and 37-year-old Joe. He also has a 29-year-old son with ex Bridget Rooney, and three kids with his most recent ex-wife Baumgartner: 18-year-old Cayden, 16-year-old Hayes and 15-year-old Grace. Even with the diversity of ages, it’s very much safe to say he has a busy family. In his words to Us Weekly:
I think when they were younger, there were things that were more repetitive. Now you’re just fighting to get them home from college or fight. … You know what I mean, just getting together. So, I do the best I can to make it as warm as I can.
Surely, other parents of teenagers and adults can relate to Costner’s sentiments. The actor has just two kids left who aren’t legal adults, and that’s a big transition. He also said this:
And I’m a bachelor, so I kind of miss those, like, really cute things to do, you know, so I have to work especially hard to make sure there’s that stuff that they think about and remember.
Baumgartner filed for divorce from Kevin Costner in May 2023, following the couple being married for 18 years. The reason she gave for breaking up the marriage was simply “irreconcilable differences.” It took less than a year and a half for the exes to settle their divorce, but it didn’t come without some public drama. For example, reportedly, Baumgartner refused to initially move out of their home until her financial demands were met.
And, while the couple was negotiating their divorce, Costner’s spending was made public, allegedly leaving the Oscar winner “embarrassed” that details of how he spends his reported $400 million fortune were on the internet. This includes the actor and filmmaker devoting over $500k to gardeners alone, and $21k on spa services. Costner also apparently asked his ex-wife to pay $100k of his legal fees, but she shut that request down.
Ultimately, the couple was able to agree on Costner paying Baumgartner $63k a month in child support for their three kids, along with them both winning joint custody. Baumgartner has since moved on by marrying a 51-year-old financier named Josh Connor in October, whereas rumor has it Kevin Costner has been dating director/author Kelly Noonan Gores this year.
Kevin Costner is still one of the biggest movie stars out there, but it sounds like that doesn’t change how hard the holidays can be as kids get older.