Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner’s love story has come to an end. It was revealed this week that his wife filed to end their 18-year marriage. Costner is reportedly shocked and does not want the divorce.
A source told Page Six, he was “very surprised by Christine’s actions” and “obviously doesn’t want the divorce” and would take her back. “It’s disappointing, he loves her, and he loves his children,” they said. Accordingo TMZ, the designer cited “irreconcilable differences.”As noted by Page Six, Costner has been rumored in the past to be a cheater. His first marriage to Cindy Costner ended in 1994 over rumors he was being unfaithful. According to People, the “Dances with Wolves” actress caught wind that he had cheated on her with a hula teacher named Michelle Amaral.
Costner was on the Hawaiian set of his movie Waterworld and Amaral, who was also married, was a performer at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel, where the sci-fi film was made.
In a 1998 interview with People, Costner acknowledged that he had made mistakes but never addressed the rumors about his alleged affair with Amaral. “I have certainly made my share of mistakes in my life, and I’m sorry for them. I’m sorry for anybody I hurt because that was never my intention,” he said.
With news of the sudden divorce, people are wondering if it had something to do with cheating. But a “longtime friend” told Page Six “defiantly, ” “there was no issue of cheating at all.”
Baumgartner, 49, asked for joint custody of their three kids. The couple shares Cayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and Grace Avery, 12. She is also a stepmom to Costner’s children; he shares Annie, 39, Lily, 36, and Joe, 35, with Silva. He also has a son named Liam, 26, with Bridget Rooney.
The soon to be divorced couple got married on September 25, 2004. Everything seemed fine with the couple as recently as March 2022. They attended the Academy Awards together and Vanity Fair’s Oscar Party, posing happily on the red carpet.
Following news of the divorce, a rep for the actor told TMZ, “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.”