Just two months after Christine Baumgartner reportedly “blindsided” Kevin Costner in May 2023 by filing for divorce after 18 years of marriage, she took a vacation to Hawaii with the “Yellowstone” actor’s friend, financier Josh Conner.
But as Baumgartner and Costner spent the next few months locked in a bitter divorce battle over child support and other issues, the mother of three repeatedly denied that there was anything romantic between her and Conner, who also was her and Costner’s neighbor in Santa Barbara. She and Connor were “just friends,” her friends would insist.
But Costner thought otherwise, with insiders telling Us Weekly that the filmmaker always “had strong suspicions that something was was going on between Christine and Josh” — before they finally went public with their romance in January 2024.
Now, a year later, Baumgartner, 50, and Conner, 49, have become engaged, according to People magazine. To a certain extent, the news of their engagement concludes a chapter in a Hollywood divorce drama that Baumgartner began in the spring of 2023, when she filed to end her marriage from the rich and powerful actor, director and producer.
To file for divorce, the handbag designer must have been desperately unhappy in her marriage to the 70-year-old Costner, who is is known for his ego and for being single-minded when it comes to working on his passion projects, such as “Horizon,” this past summer’s critically mixed, box-office failure. But perhaps Baumgartner also knew she could be happier with someone else.
Conner officially proposed on a beach in Santa Barbara on Sunday, a source told People. “It was about to rain, so almost no one else was on the beach when Josh got down on one knee,” the source said.
Those in the couple’s inner circle weren’t surprised by the proposal, People reported. “They spent Christmas in New York together last month. … They are both over the moon and excited for their future together,” the source added.
Throughout Baumgartner’s messy divorce from Costner, she and her friends talked about her just being friends with Connor. However, the “Field of Dreams” star began to suspect that his wife had been planning her exit months before their official date of separation, April 11, 2023, People reported. Baumgartner and Costner share three children together: Cayden, 17, Hayes, 15, and Grace, 14.
In July 2023, Baumgartner and Conner were spotted on a romantic getaway to Hawaii, fueling speculation about a budding romance, People reported. But Baumgartner could push the friendship narrative because she brought her three kids along on the trip. During an August 2023 child support hearing, Baumgartner’s lawyer also insisted that she and Connor were friends and “nothing more than that,” the New York Post reported.
In September 2023, Baumgartner and Costner settled their divorce. Four months later, a source confirmed to People that she and Connor had in fact been in a relationship “for months” and that they were “so in love.”
“Josh was initially just a friend,” an insider insisted to People. A source also said that Baumgartner “likes hanging out with him,” they share the same values and she feels “so happy and supported in this new relationship.” The source also said: “He is a divorced dad and understands what she’s been going through. They both love the ocean and beach life. It’s something that makes Christine happy.”
Now that Baumgartner and Connor are engaged, they enjoy the support of friends.
“Anyone who knows Christine knows how she has dedicated her life to her family,” an insider said. “They do a lot together, and caring for her kids has remained very focus this whole time.”
“Everyone can tell how happy they are together,” the insider also said. “Now, everyone wants to know when and where the wedding will be!”