Even though Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner are currently going through one of the messiest celebrity divorces of the year, this is not his first divorce. The actor previously engaged in a legal dispute with Cindy Silva, his first wife of almost 16 years. The news of his divorce, which came after a long marriage that seemed idyllic, shocked his fan base.
Earlier this week, Costner again shocked fans, by announcing that he and his second wife of nearly 19 years, Christine Baumgartner, are divorcing. This is the latest instance of history repeating itself.
It is a sobering realization that even relationships that last for decades do not always guarantee a forever kind of love. Fans, who had looked to Costner and his lengthy marriages as an ideal example of a Hollywood romance, were shocked even when he divorced Silva earlier.
Kevin Costner Criticized Fans For Having False Expectations
After 18 years of marriage, Kevin Costner‘s second wife, Christine Baumgartner, has filed for divorce, so the actor will soon be back to being single. However, his first experience with this situation—with his first wife, Cindy Silva—ended up costing him a pretty penny and led to one of the most expensive Hollywood divorces ever.
Silva, who first got to know Costner when they were both in college, reportedly received a $80 million payout from the Yellowstone star. Their lengthy union, which lasted from 1978 to 1994, came to an end due to rumors that Costner allegedly had an affair while working on the Waterworld set.
Not only did he part with a sizable sum of money, but Costner claimed he was also extremely saddened by the dissolution of this family. He reflected on his split from Silva in 2012 and admitted to The Hollywood Reporter that
“My faith was shaken. No one wants their marriage to end, and it did. You are going to see the people you love most, your children, only half as much. That’s a huge loss.”
Also, the fans’ false expectations really affected him at that time. During the mid-1990s press criticism of him, he was quoted as saying (per IMDB):
“It was much more complicated than that. It wasn’t about fame. It wasn’t about that at all. And I think maybe people were disappointed because they had seen me have a life. Was I the last hope for men and women? “If they can’t make it, no-one can!” But we never projected ourselves in the press as a perfect couple. I didn’t want that mantle, but when people project it on you and see it all dissolve….You see it. I don’t know if people beg for it and then they can’t get rid of it.”
Kevin Costner’s Divorce From Christine Baumgartner Is ‘Not Anything He Wanted’
Kevin Costner married Christine Baumgartner, a model and handbag designer, on September 25, 2004, after dating her for four years. The Oscar winner, 68, and his second wife announced their separation in May after Baumgartner, 49, filed for divorce the previous day.
However, as a source confirmed to PEOPLE, Costner did not choose to get divorced:
“It was not anything that he wanted or sought, and if he could change the situation, he would.”
Costner’s agent stated in the announcement of their separation:
“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.”
However, the actor discussed raising a family with Baumgartner in a November (2022) interview with PEOPLE, saying:
“The house is prettier because of her. Everything is warmer because of her. There’s these little things that she does — and I think it’s the power of love — but that she makes her home that way.”
On the work front, he will next be seen in the upcoming Western epic Horizon: An American Saga. Sam Worthington, Luke Wilson, Thomas Haden Church, and Sienna Miller also starred in the Kevin Costner-helmed movie. Moreover, three additional sequels have been given the green light.
Source- The Hollywood Reporter; PEOPLE; IMDB; PEOPLE
