Kevin Costner, one of Hollywood’s most sought-after action-film actors, is a pillar of today’s entertainment industry. He acts, produces, and directs some of the highest-grossing action and drama films on screen.
Costner, however, is no exception to the many downfalls of fame. His romantic history highlights several failed relationships and affairs, right before he found true love. Curious who made this Hollywood heartthrob want to commit and settle down? Read along to find out!
The First Marriage
Kevin Costner met his first wife in college. Cindy Silva was a homecoming queen nominee and has played Snow White at Disneyland. The two fell in love while studying together at CSUF, and they married in 1987.
In a 1989 interview, Costner said, “She was beautiful, she was sweet, she was smarter than me.” He added, “She represented everything about women that I like.” The couple had three children: Annie, Lily, and Joe. However, the marriage did not last long.
End of Marriage
Everything seems to be going well, but not for so long. Soon, the first rumors of Costner’s affairs began making headlines. The news wasn’t bearable enough for Cindy, leading the couple to separate. In a joint divorce statement, they wrote, “After 16 years together, we are ending our marriage. We have amicably resolved all issues regarding our children and financial affairs, and a full marital settlement has been reached.” The divorce was finalized in 1994. While it concluded Kevin’s union with Cindy, the actor’s love life was far from over.
Facing the Consequence
Before the official announcement of separation came out, Costner admitted he knew it was coming. He said, “The temptations are pretty strong and there’s a hungry world out there waiting for you to fall. So you can’t even dabble without paying a huge price. I try to conduct my life with a certain amount of dignity and discretion but marriage is a hard, hard gig.”
In addition, he also confessed in a 1989 interview with People magazine that “The package isn’t important. I have a real appreciation for women.” He would later prove his words when more rumors broke about his several dalliances.
A Fruitful Affair
Consequently, it is not only divorce that became a product of Kevin’s affairs. He has also fathered Bridget Rooney’s child. It took a paternity test first before he accepted Liam Costner, his fourth child, as his own.
Nevertheless, Costner made an effort to be a good father to him. He opened up a trust fund shortly after confirming their relationship. Sadly, they are rarely seen hanging out together, which may be due to Costner’s attitudes towards other affairs.
Another Extra-marital Affair?
It appears that it wasn’t the only affair Kevin had before his divorce. Rumor has it Costner was in an affair with Halle Berry in 1989. Speculations claimed that they began dating around the time Halle starred in 12 episodes of Living Dolls. Neither Kevin nor Halle ever confirmed the rumors, but they still hang out together as friends.
Irresistible Charm
Despite the negative impact on his public image, Kevin has wooed Michelle Pfeiffer while still being married. Pfeiffer is well-known for her projects, namely, Scarface, Dangerous Liaisons, and Batman Returns. Oddly, Halle Berry would also portray the same role at a later time.
Fire in the Bedroom
Bobbie Jean Brown is an American actress and model known to have dated a bunch of Hollywood men. The most famous of these men happened to be Tommy Lee, who then left her for Pamela Anderson as revealed in her memoir.
Dirty Rocker Boys: Love and Lust on the Sunset Strip, Brown’s tell-all memoir did not spare details especially in the love department. Notably, one of those rocker boys who went mad for her was Kevin Costner himself.
More Gossip
However, Kevin also appeared in other women’s books. In Once Upon a Star: Celebrity Kiss and Tell Stories, TV and movie personality Peggy Trentini also candidly spoke about Kevin. Peggy and Kevin hooked up briefly after his divorce from Cindy in the 1990s. In her memoir, Peggy described Kevin as fun and sexy, but not falling-in-love material.
She said, “He was so fun and flirty, but I never took him seriously because my friends all told me he was a huge womanizer.” She also stated Costner would have his friends bring lots of women to his house so he could “find a hot girlfriend.” Turns out, his words matched his actions.
Enchanted by “Aphrodite”
Next, Costner moved onto Mira Sorvino, when she starred in Mighty Aphrodite. The two started an affair. News of the affair made the tabloids in 1993, a year before his separation with Cindy went through. Sadly, as swiftly as their love sparked, it also diminished just as quickly, only to lead Costner to someone else.
Dating a Supermodel
Kevin’s divorce in 1994 was a freeing experience for him. Costner often claimed he missed out on a lot while he was married. News broke in the mid-1990s that he had an affair with supermodel Naomi Campbell. As one of the biggest names in modeling, her dating partners did not go unnoticed. However, their relationship did not really manifest into a serious one, meaning Costner would move on again.
Another Short-Lived Romance
Angie Everhart is a swimsuit model who made her Hollywood debut with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the film, Last Action Hero. She ranked 98th in FHM’s 100 Sexiest Women of 2003 issue. Rumors said that she also had a thing with Kevin. They were spotted by the paparazzis having a dinner date in 1995, and the news instantly hit the tabloids. However, this fling didn’t last long. Later on, Everhart married comedian and singer-songwriter, Ashley Hamilton.
Low-key Fling
Back in 1995, Friends star Courteney Cox briefly dated Kevin Costner. For a while, it seemed like it was becoming serious, with less information about it because the two kept everything low profile. However, their romance also ended abruptly. They reunited in 2001 in the action-adventure crime movie, 3000 Miles to Graceland but the spark was no longer there. By then, Cox had already married David Arquette, who also starred in 3000 Miles to Graceland, in 1999.
1995 Romantic Rendezvous
Here’s another dalliance of Kevin in 1995. His girlfriend this time was Cheryl Tiegs, an American supermodel. She has graced covers for the Time magazine and Sports Illustrated ‘Swimsuit Issue.’ Costner was instantly attracted to her that in the August nights of 1995, he made room for romantic rendezvous with the fashion beauty.
Battle for Love
Famous baseball player Cal Ripken has always been in the starting lineup, when he almost missed a game in 1997. Fortunately, a lightning malfunction occurred, and the game was canceled. Rumors claim that he allegedly broke down and Kevin was the reason. Ripken was said to have returned to his house after forgetting something on the day of the game. When he arrived home, he caught Costner in his bed with his wife, Kelly. According to some versions, a fight ensued between the two of them.
Good Morning America
Costner was restless in his search for love. This time, he courted Joan Lunden, ABC’s popular Good Morning America host until 1997. However, the pair received media attention so intensely that it severed the couple’s budding romance. As Lunden recalls, “He got this yacht, and we sailed around New York Harbor and had dinner. It was quite romantic and quite beautiful.” She also said, “I think Kevin and I would have dated longer had it not been for the unbelievable press focus on us.”
Leaving the Bachelor Life
When 1996 came, Costner decided to put behind his life as a bachelor. He then dated Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson. He was absolutely smitten with the model-actress, businesswoman, and TV host, and their relationship consequently progressed into a serious one.
Costner said, “I feel I have met my equal with this beautiful, talented, funny, and lovely person.” After a few months, the couple moved in together. Costner abandoned his single lifestyle but unfortunately, the relationship was short-lived. It was over by the end of the year.
Answering the “Call”
While Costner was in a serious relationship with Elle Macpherson, he appeared ready to tie the knot again. For a moment, we thought the same but sadly, he slipped yet into another affair. The single life seemed to have called him, and he readily answered the call.
This time, he lured Italian-French Supermodel and pop singer Carla Bruni. Bruni was one of the world’s first supermodels, and was also known as France’s First Lady after dating French president Nicolas Sarkozy.
End of Quest?
Costner’s search for true love led him to fashion guru, Christine Baumgartner. Kevin wooed her for some time, and she eventually fell in love with the Oscar-winning actor. Coincidentally, Baumgartner’s alma mater is California State University Fullerton, too.
The first met in the late 1980s when Costner was practicing golf for his role in the Tin Cup. At that time, he was married to Cindy. However, when they ran into each other again in 1998, things ended up differently. He said, “When I met Christine, I wasn’t prepared to be in love again. It took me a long time before I said, ‘I love you’ to her, a long time
Conquering his Fear
Christine wanted family and children, but Costner wasn’t prepared to have a new one just yet. She told him that she could wait until he changes his mind, but not too long. “Fear kept me from marrying Christine. [She] wanted a child, but I was afraid I couldn’t be an effective father,” Costner said. Somehow, he was able to think things through on time and save their relationship.
They finally tied the knot on September 25, 2004 at Costner’s 165-acre Colorado estate, just outside of Aspen. It was the first ‘I do’ for Christine, and for Costner, his second and hopefully the last. David Giammarco, Costner’s friend, didn’t have any doubts with his latest marriage as he thinks, “Kevin and Christine are like kids together, really in love.”
A Family Man
The couple welcomed their first born, Cayden, three years after their marriage. Their second son, Hayes, was born in 2009, two years after his older brother. In 2010, the couple was blessed with another child and a daughter this time. They named her Grace.
“It’s complicated being an older dad. When your kids are born, and you are already in your 60s, it’s something to consider,” he explained about his parenting concerns. “I want it to be me who tells them about the secrets, the beauty, the betrayal, and everything that is in life. I don’t want them to learn from someone else,” Costner commented.
Happy Ending!
“I have never wanted to be afraid in my life, but after my divorce, I was,” confessed Costner. “The pain of that experience had been so strong that I never wanted to go through it ever again.” However, the messy marriage and long years of wandering with several partners taught him a valuable life lesson.
“Sometimes, you learn the thing you’re most afraid of will save your life,” Costner said. Now, almost two decades together with his beautiful wife and three wonderful children, he is content more than ever. Christine is definitely ‘the one’ for him, and it is only but right for her to have a loving and committed husband.
Let’s also not forget some of Costner’s most memorable movie and television roles…
1. Yellowstone
Costner has starred in the TV drama series, Yellowstone, since 2018, alongside other celebrities, including Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, and Wes Bentley. Paramount Network recently renewed the show for a fourth season.
2. Criminal
In 2016, Costner starred alongside Ryan Reynolds in the action and thriller movie, Criminal. The film grossed $38.8 million at the U.S. box office alone.
3. Man of Steel
Perhaps one of Costner’s most famous film appearances was Man of Steel, released in 2013. Costner worked with Russell Crowe, Diane Lane, Henry Cavill, and Amy Adams, just to name a small handful, on set. The film’s sucess raked in a whopping $668 million at the U.S. box office.
4. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
In 2014, Costner appeared in the well-known Tom Clancy franchise story, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit as William Harper. The film was the fifth in the series, and Costner’s status as an actor surely helped the film succeed.
5. The Guardian
Costner played a Coast Guard swimmer, alongside Ashton Kutcher in the 2006 action film, The Guardian. His role as a mentor to Kutcher’s character paved the way to the film’s success and memorable storyline.
6. Hatfields & McCoys
Hatfields & McCoys, the one-season-long 2012 action TV series starred Costner, who played William Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield. The series premiered on the History Channel and consisted of three two-hour episodes that won a series of awards, including a Golden Globe to Kevin Costner for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film.
7. Mr. Brooks
In 2007, Costner played Mr. Brooks, a businessman who had an addiction to killing. Dane Cook, Demi Moore, and William Hurt also starred in the film.
8. Black or White
Yet another drama film, Black or White starred Elliot Anderson, Kevin Costner’s character, who raised his biracial granddaugther all by himself. The film made $21.7 million at the U.S. box office and tackled topics of racism and single parenthood.
9. The Art of Racing in the Rain
In 2019, Costner graced the screen in the drama film, The Art of Racing in the Rain, a movie adaptation to the novel by Garth Stein. Costner voiced Enzo, the beloved golden retriever who is dying.
10. Robin Hood: The Prince of Thieves
And last but not least, it’s worth it to mention one of Costner’s most notable film roles: Robin Hood. Costner’s role in the 1991 film stood out, alongside the performances of several other celebrities, including Morgan Freeman and Christian Slater.
