Last week, we reported that Kevin Costner’s ex-wife Christine Baumgartner had married his former friend and neighbor Josh Connor.
While Costner has yet to break his silence about that, insiders are speaking out to claim that he’s “furious” over a piece published by The Hollywood Reporter earlier this month. In the story, it was claimed that Costner has “lost the plot.”
Costner ‘Furious’ About THR Hit Piece
After the humiliations of both the hit piece and his ex-wife’s wedding, Costner has reportedly been distracting himself by going deep-sea diving in search for sunken treasure.
“Kevin Costner is on a deep-sea diving binge to discover sunken treasure,” an insider told Page Six. “He found gold coins and emeralds recently in the Caribbean. Now he’s shopping a TV series on finding sunken treasure around the world.”
However, the source was quick to add that “no one has signed on to finance it.” The insider then cited the increasingly negative reputation that Costner has garnered in Hollywood.
Earlier this month, THR absolutely roasted Costner. In their piece, the publication alleged that Costner has had a “long series of unfortunate incidents” in a career that’s been “marked by feuds, walkouts, lawsuits, financing fiascos and a growing reputation for being, as one former colleague put it, ‘impossible.’”
Needless to say, Costner has not taken this piece well.
“He’s said to be furious over the new Hollywood Reporter story about how he’s lost the plot,” the insider alleged. “He’s very angry about it.”
Costner’s Alleged Film Financing Struggles
It’s been alleged that Costner has been struggling to finance the remaining movies in his planned four-part western epic movie series Horizon. According to THR, he even mortgaged an unoccupied $60 million oceanfront property in Santa Barbara County in order to come up with the money.
Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1 flopped majorly at the box office when it was released last year. While filming on Chapter 2 has reportedly been completed, there is no release date for it at this time.
The financing that Costner is desperately trying to get would be used to fund Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 of the Horizon film series. Based on the way things are looking now, however, Costner’s chances of actually making those two movies aren’t looking very good.
Making matters even worse for Costner, THR also alleged that he once got into a heated physical altercation with his Yellowstone co-star Wes Bentley on the show’s set. The altercation was reportedly so intense that it left their former co-star Kelly Reilly in tears.
Bentley’s reps confirmed the incident, saying that it was “a work-related argument during an emotional and physically tough scene.” The reps added that the matter was “discussed and resolved.”
Other Yellowstone sources claimed to THR that members of the cast and crew were fed up with Costner’s “diva-like” demeanor on set. It came as a relief for them when Costner declined to return the second half of the fifth and final season of Yellowstone. He did this because filming conflicted with that of Horizon 2. Costner’s character of John Dutton was subsequently killed off off-camera.
Costner’s Ex-Wife Marries His Former Friend
As Costner struggles to grapple with these setbacks in his professional life, he’s been struggling in his personal life as well.
Coster was married to Baumgartner, 51, from 2004 until they split in early 2023. Their divorce was finalized last year. The former couple share three children: Cayden, 18, and Hayes, 16, and daughter Grace, 15.
Shortly after splitting from Costner, Baumgartner began dating their former neighbor Connor. This was a particularly tough blow for Costner, as Connor had been a close friend of his.
Baumgartner and Connor married in a lavish ceremony on October 18. The wedding was held at the Santa Ynez Ranch, a private vineyard in Santa Barbara, California.
“It was magical—truly,” a wedding guest told People Magazine. “The setting was gorgeous, but what made it special was the intimacy of it all. This wasn’t a big production. It was authentic, heartfelt, and so very them. Everyone there felt like they were witnessing something really precious.”
“For the couple, the most exciting part is simply building an authentic, joy-filled life together,” another source gushed. “They are embracing the peace of this new beginning—focusing on the everyday moments that matter most.”
While Costner has never commented on the Baumgartner and Connor becoming a couple publicly, those close to him say he’s understandably struggled to come to terms with it.
“Kevin’s true friends immediately cut off Christine and Josh and would never attend their wedding, even if invited,” an insider told Daily Mail in June. “Their loyalty to Kevin is solid.”
This has clearly been an incredibly difficult time for Costner both personally and professionally. Here’s hoping that he can bounce back from all of this!