Kevin Costner’s relationship with Princess Diana has come under new scrutiny in recent months.
The world recently learned that in the final year of Diana’s life, she was in preliminary talks to star with Costner in a sequel to his 1992 hit The Bodyguard.
These days, Costner is on a whirlwind promotional tour in support of his new film Horizon: An American Saga.
Kevin Costner attends the “Horizon: An American Saga” press conference at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 20, 2024 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
And he’s sharing new information about his relationship with Diana and the harsh reaction it elicited from the royals.
Kevin Costner Says He Spoke With Princess Diana About Film Role
In a new interview with Howard Stern, Costner revealed that he first reached out to Diana through Prince Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.
“What had happened was, I started talking to her through Sarah, and I said, ‘Look, I’m gonna do ‘Bodyguard 2′ and I think I can build this around you. Would you be interested?’” the Oscar winner recalled (via Page Six).
Diana, Princess of Wales (1961 – 1997), visits Colston’s School in Bristol, UK, 19th November 1983. (Photo by Len Trievnor/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
“She goes, ‘Yes. My life’s about to change.’ I didn’t really go into depth with it, but I thought I understood what she was saying,” he continued.
“She was very sweet. The second time we talked, she said, ‘Is there going to be a kissing scene?’ I said, ‘Do you want there to be one?’ She said, ‘Yeah,’ and I said, ‘Then we’ll do that.’
“I wasn’t going to make the full romance about her. But there was going to be a moment that we did. And she was so sweet about this.”
The project never materialized, in part because Diana was killed in a car accident shortly thereafter.
Prince Charles and the Princess of Wales (1961 – 1997, later Diana, Princess of Wales) at Westminster Abbey, London, for a centenary service for the Royal College Of Music, 28th February 1982. (Photo by Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Now, Costner claims that the royal family antagonized him in the aftermath of Diana’s death.
Costner’s Clash With the Royal Family
“When Diana passed, about a year later it had leaked out that I was prepping ‘Bodyguard 2’ with her. And what happened was, the royal family kind of turned on me a little bit,” Costner revealed to Stern.
“Like, ‘No, that’s not true.’ And it got actually kind of ugly,” the actor continued.
“And I let it go for a while. It just got uglier and uglier.”
Kevin Costner attends the Premiere Party For Paramount Network’s “Yellowstone” Season 2 at Lombardi House on May 30, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images)
Costner recalls that he then took matters into his own hands and reached out to Fergie for help.
“Finally, I called up Sarah, and said, ‘Sarah, you need to tell me who is leading the charge there on this thing,” he told Stern this week.
“She goes, ‘No, no, no, Kev, you don’t want to talk to them.’ I said, ‘Yes I do.’ I called them up, and I said:
“‘I’m telling you something, you need to stop because it is true. And if you don’t stop, I’m gonna start. Because it was.’”
Kevin Costner attends the Pre-GRAMMY Gala & GRAMMY Salute To Industry Icons Honoring Julie Greenwald & Craig Kallman at The Beverly Hilton on February 04, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
The friendship between Kevin Costner and Princess Diana may have been brief, but it sounds like the royals felt more than a little threatened by it.
Sadly, Diana never got to explore her interest in film acting.
There have been rumors that Costner is considering making the Bodyguard 2 with Meghan Markle, but that seems unlikely.
And the royals are probably greatly relieved that the sequel will almost certainly never materialize.
Kevin Costner: Royal Family ‘Turned On Me’ Following Friendship With Princess … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.