After Years Of The Single Life, Kevin Costner Talks About Finding True Love
Kevin Costner has been in the movie industry since he first appeared as John Logan in the 1981 film Malibu Hot Summer. Since then, his career has had its highs and lows, whether it was the massive success of Dances with Wolves or the utter catastrophe that was Waterworld. His career isn't the only thing that has been unpredictable in his life -- he's had his fair share of hit-and-misses trying to find love as well. He's spent years trying to find that special someone. See how it's worked out so far.
The First Love
While attending California State University, Fullerton, Kevin Costner was first introduced to Cindy Silva. In a 1998 interview, Costner commented that "She was beautiful, she was sweet, she was smarter than me [...] She represented everything about women that I like."
Luckily for Costner, the two hit it off and got married in 1978. The two appeared to be quite happy and shared three children together named Annie, Lily, and Joe.
Ending His First Marriage
Not long after Costner had wrapped up filming his critically-acclaimed film Dances with Wolves, rumors began to circulate that Costner had been unfaithful. While the two did everything they could to make their marriage work, in the end, it didn't.
In 1994, the couple announced that they were getting a divorce in a statement: "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."
Embracing The Single Life
During the second half of the 1990s, Costner was enjoying his time being single. He had flings with multiple women and was usually seen with a different on his arm at events. Some people were beginning to think he was just a womanizer with a great acting career.
Other people defended Costner, claiming that he was a successful guy and was just having fun. He wouldn't be the first actor to live like this either.
Looking Back
At first, many people in Hollywood and especially his fans were surprised to learn that his marriage was coming to an end. However, for his friends and co-workers, the news wasn't exactly a surprise.
Back in a 1987 interview, Costner's promiscuity was foreshadowed when he admitted, "I have a big thirst. A big taste for things…. I hate the fact that I've lived by somebody else’s rules and I’ve somehow missed out on something,"
He Became Fodder For Tabloids
Of course, people seeing Costner walking around with different women on his arm began to spark up some serious controversy. It didn't take long for tabloids to start taking pictures and making statements that most likely weren't even true.
Although Costner was never shy to admit when he did something wrong, for the most part, he kept his private life under wraps from the public. While people saw him as someone who had an interest in a lot of women, people had forgotten who he once was.
Opening Up About Marital Issues
Before Costner and Silva even went public about their plans to get divorced, Costner hinted that their relationship wasn't going all that well. In an interview with Daily News Costner admitted as much.
"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," he said. "I try to conduct my life with a certain amount of dignity and discretion—but marriage is a hard, hard gig."
A Different Scandal
Almost straight out of his divorce, Costner started up a fling with a woman named Bridget Rooney. She is part of the family that owns and runs the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise. She was also featured in the 2011 movie Zombie or Not Zombie.
Supposedly, their relationship lasted between 1995 and 1996 although the exact dates are unknown. While both Rooney and Costner wanted to keep things under wraps, the couple's relationship would eventually surface.
Bridget Was Carrying A Secret
To the surprise of many people, Bridget Rooney gave birth to a son in 1996. And this wasn't just any boy, but Kevin Costner's. His name is Liam Costner and apparently, Costner didn't have the best relationship with the child at first.
At first, Costner wouldn't even accept the child was his own until Rooney demanded that he have a paternity test. Once the results came back, he set up a trust fund for the boy. Supposedly Costner sees him fairly infrequently.
A Romance With Halle Berry?
Although it has never officially been confirmed, there were rumors going around that Costner had been involved in an affair with the famous actress Halle Berry while still married to Silva. Believed to have begun in 1989, Berry had just started her acting career after appearing in 12 episodes of Living Dolls.
Neither of the actors has commented on the rumors yet have remained friends. They have frequently been seen socializing in public as well.
Another Rumor Not Long After
Just a year after people started to spread the rumors about Costner and Berry, the Dances with Wolves star found himself under attack yet again. Tabloids once more began accusing Costner of having an affair, but this time with Michelle Pfeiffer.
Michelle got her start in the film industry playing Elvira Hancock in the 1983 film Scarface. However, rumors involving Costner aren't the only thing that the two actresses have in common. They both played Cat Woman at one point in their careers.
One Woman Came Out And Admitted It
While the claims about Berry and Pfeiffer were just rumors, one woman came out and claimed she had gone on a few dates with Costner. This woman was model and actress Bobbie Jean Brown.
She is best known for being featured in the music video for the song "Cherry Pie" by Warrant. Brown laid it all out about her and Kevin Costner in her memoir titled Dirty Rocker Boys Love and Lust on the Sunset Strip.
Another Memoir Spilled Even More Secrets
Bobbie Brown wasn't the only female to come out and discuss her intimate relations with the actor. A woman named Peggy Trentini wasn't afraid to tell the world either and did just that in her own book Once Upon a Star: Celebrity Kiss and Tell Stories.
Trentini was an actress and model in the 1980s and '90s and wrote a book on her experience. After she released her book, she changed professions and went into real estate.
He Couldn't Catch A Break
In 1993, just a year before Costner and his wife would finalize their divorce, another rumor was bared, saying that he was involved in an affair with actress Mira Sorvino. The actress became popular after her performance in Woody Allen's romantic comedy film Mighty Aphrodite in 1995.
Back when the rumor first emerged, it wasn't as big of a deal as with the other women since Sorvino was relatively unknown with just a few acting gigs under her belt.
The Same Year Of His Divorce
Actress and model Holly Sampson, who has also gone by the names Nicolette Foster, Andrea Michaels, and Zoe, also claimed to have been in a relationship with Costner. She said that in 1994, the same year Costner and his wife divorced, the two were briefly involved with one another.
Foster started her acting career being featured in episodes of Wonder Years, My Two Dads, Beauty and the Beast, and Matlock. She later went on to become an adult actress.
Moving Onto Supermodels
Starting her career at 15 years old, supermodel Naomi Campbell quickly grew to become one of the most well-known stars of the modeling world. She was also rumored to have been involved with Costner during the mid-1990s.
She has since dated Adam Clayton, the bass player for the legendary band U2, as well as Flavio Briatore, a Formula One race car driver. Today, she is believed to be dating Louis C. Camilleri, a multimillionaire from Malta.
Dating A Screenwriter
Yet another one of Costner's supposed flings was actress and screenwriter Karin Reznack. She is best-known for her participation in late 1980s films such as Her Alibi and Clara's Heart. After the rumors subsided about her brief relationship with Costner, Reznack went on to date the respected film director John Byrum at the end of the 90s.
Although the rumors were never confirmed from either party, many people are convinced that their relationship was the real thing.
He Was Defended By One Of His Exes
Back in 2006, Kevin Costner was in a scandal yet again after it was reported he was participating in inappropriate behavior while receiving a massage at a five-star hotel back in 2004. Surprisingly, one of his ex-girlfriends, Brigit Cunningham, stepped up to defend Costner about the allegations.
She made a statement, claiming, "Kevin is very romantic and tender, he would never do anything so vulgar… He really is Mr. Perfect, squeaky clean, if a little naive when it comes to realizing the effect he has on girls."
Ready To Love Again
Since his divorce in 1994, it was clear that Costner had been experimenting with different kinds of women, possibly looking for his next true love. It seemed that he was in luck when he met Christine Baumgartner. She was a young model and handbag designer, and the two had met several years before when Costner was practicing golf for the film Tin Cup.
It appeared that Christine might have been the one for Costner after he admitted, "When I met Christine, I wasn't prepared to be in love again."
Working With An Old Crush
Back in 2001, Costner worked alongside actress Courteney Cox in the action crime film 3,000 Miles to Graceland. However, that wasn't the first time that the two had interacted. Apparently, Costner had known the star from Friends many years earlier on a much more personal level.
According to sources, the pair had been involved back in 1995. Cox ended up marrying David Arquette, another actor who had worked on 3,000 Miles to Graceland.
Divorced After 18 Years Of Marriage
In 2023, one of Kevin Costner's representatives said, "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."
Costner married his former wife, Christine Baumgartner, in 2004, and the two were married for 18 years.
Remembering The Old Costner
Before Costner had become a Hollywood A-List actor, his life was fulfilled by having just one woman by his side and being surrounded by his family. Of course, people seemed to easily forget this about him.
Stardom and money also come along with certain temptations, some of which Costner had a hard time resisting. While many people condemned him for his action, he also lost the respect of some people who once looked up to him.
He Had A Thing For Models
Another rumor about Costner's love life in the mid-90s was about him and actress/model Angie Everhart. The two were spotted having dinner and it didn't surprise people who heard the rumor considering that Everhart had appeared in her fair share of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues as well as a 2000 issue of Playboy.
However, after word of Everhart and Costner began to spread, there was talk that Costner was trying to patch up things with his ex-wife Cindy.
The First American Supermodel
1995 was certainly a busy year for Kevin Costner. Among the other women he was believed to be involved with, he was also said to have been romantically involved with Cheryl Tiegs, an American fashion designer, and model.
Her work earned her the title of "the first American supermodel." 1995 was a busy year for Tiegs as well, as she launched her Cheryl Tiegs Sportswear Collection. On top of that, she has also been known to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and even TIME magazine.
Caught With Another Man's Woman
Although it might not be more than an urban legend, supposedly, Costner almost ruined Cal Ripken Jr.'s record-breaking games streak after becoming romantic with his wife while staying at their house. Costner claims that after having portrayed numerous baseball players in movies, he had become close friends with Cal Ripken Jr.'s friends.
He went on to to say that he was caught with his wife in which the baseball player beat him up on the spot. Supposedly, Riken was so upset that his upcoming game was canceled due to an "electrical failure."
Costner Couldn't Get Enough In 1995
In another 1995 incident, Costner was spotted on several occasions out and about with American journalist, author, and television host Joan Lunden. The famous reporter is best known for hosting ABC's Good Morning America between the years 1980 and 1997.
Their relationship came to an end after the two couldn't handle the publicity that they received from the media. Costner was promoting Waterworld at the time, so the paparazzi was very interested in his personal life.
Costner Gave It His All With Lunden
When the two were dating, it was clear that Costner was really doing his best to impress the television host. Lunden reported that on their first date, "He got this yacht and we sailed around New York Harbor and had dinner [...] It was quite romantic and quite beautiful. When he first walked on the boat and smiled at me…"
Lunden exclaimed that his charm almost made her fall over and believes the two would have dated longer if it wasn't for the press.
1996 Was A Different Year
As wild as the year 1995 was for Costner, it seemed that he might have been turning a new page in 1996. It looked like he was ready to leave the single life behind when he started dating Elle MacPherson, an Australian businesswoman, television host, model, and actress.
Their relationship moved rather quickly with the two living together within a few months after starting their relationship. On their relationship, Costner commented, "I feel I have met my equal with this beautiful, talented, funny and lovely person."
He Needed A Rebound
After Costner and Elle MacPherson called their relationship quits, Costner was back out on the field. Soon after, he was believed to be dating Carla Bruni, and Italian-French former model and singer. Considered to be one of the world's first supermodels, she also had a dating record of men such as Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, and even Donald Trump.
Although it may have seemed that Costner was looking for someone to settle down with, his actions would prove otherwise.
Costner Was On Top Of The World
In 1997, Kevin Costner was doing incredibly well for himself career-wise. He had just wrapped up two very successful films and had been nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance in Tin Cup and another Saturn Award for his work in The Postman.
However, that didn't mean his dating life had slowed down. That same year, he started dating the former Miss America winner, Tawny Little. Their relationship only lasted a year and had ended by 1998.
A Relationship With A Co-Star?
While Kevin Costner had never been a stranger to tabloid headlines, things really started heating up in 1999 when it was rumored he was involved with Kelly Preston, his co-star in the film For the Love of the Game.
The National Esquire reported that John Travolta was "furious," since he was married to Preston at the time. Unsurprisingly, neither actors have confirmed whether the rumors were true. Most likely they weren't, as Travolta and Preston are still currently married.
Nothing's Perfect
Considering what Costner had been up to since his divorce with Cindy, he opened up and admitted that his love life had kind of been also over the place. He stated, "I was like the classic single guy — who do I love this week, who next week?"
When he dated Christine, however, things began to turn around for the actor. It appeared as though he had actually found love again. Unfortunately, after not being ready to commit to children, the couple broke up in 2002.
Realizing His Faults
Being a single man once again, Costner began to realize what he had with Christine and saw that he had made a terrible mistake.
He opened up saying, "Fear kept me from marrying Christine. [She] wanted a child, but I was afraid I couldn't be an effective father. After dating for four years, I woke up and thought, 'Am I going to lose a beautiful woman who is willing to be with me to my very last breath because I am afraid to say yes to a child?’ That’s all it took.”
The Two Were Married
After a lot of reflection of what Costner really wanted in life, he discovered that it was Christine. The two were married in 2004 in a private ceremony on Costner's estate in Aspen, Colorado, in front of 300 of their closest family and friends.
This was Christine's first marriage and Costner's second, yet the newlyweds seemed completely in love. Considering Costner's past, surely Christine was hopeful that Costner meant the words when he said: "I do."
Welcoming Children Into The Family
For the first three years of their marriage, Costner and Christine enjoyed life on their own. In May 2007, their lives changed forever when Christine gave birth to their first son, Cayden. After the birth of their son, Costner seemed to step out of the spotlight.
During that time, he was focusing on side projects such as touring with his band and investing in various machinery. For the time being, he took a break from acting in major pictures to focus on his family.
The More The Merrier
After the birth of Cayden in 2007, Coster and Christine weren't ready to stop there. In 2009 they welcomed their son Hayes, and in 2010, their daughter Grace. Costner is now a proud father of three and couldn't be happier.
He describes his children as, "Really good children [...] and I see them making steps every day, and the one thing I pray for in life is not success but being able to raise my children and that nothing happens to me in the next 20 years."
Becoming The Father He Was Meant To Be
In an interview, Costner explained, "I want it to be me who tells them about the secrets, the beauty, the treachery and everything that is in life. I don't want them to learn from someone else."
This is quite a turnaround from his mentality on life some years ago, and his wife Christine was pleased to hear it. She was impressed to see and hear what a dedicated father Costner was determined to be and was confident he would live up to his word.
He Doesn't Play Favorites
When it comes to all of his children, Costner has made it clear that he doesn't love any of them more than another, even those he had with his first wife. In 2007, he told Good Housekeeping, "[I] have always been really close to my girls [...] All of my kids are showered with love."
It's unlikely he would have said these words back when he was one of Hollywood's biggest playboys, so it's clear that Costner has had a change of heart.
He Began Acting Again
After focusing most of his time on his family, Costner made the decision to get back into acting, his true first love. In 2013, he went back into the film industry acting as Jonathan Kent in the film Man of Steel. These days, he isn't acting like he used to.
"I won't make a movie unless I have the ability to do it the way I want, so I hold my breath for a very long time," Costner admitted.
He is Rewarded As An Actor And A Father
Although Costner's first love was acting, he claims that being a father is the more fulfilling job. While being an actor has its perks both financially and socially, he believes fatherhood keeps him in check and gives balance to his life.
According to Costner, "I have played two roles in my life, one I get paid to do, which is the movies, and the other one is being a father, for which I’ll be rewarded my whole life.”
It Was A Long Road
Although it took Costner some time to get his priorities straight, it looks like all of the hardships have finally paid off. From the tabloid covers to the countless rumors about his actions, everything is now in the past.
He was afraid of commitment after his divorce but has now been married for 18 years to his wife Christine and has become a dedicated father. Just when it seemed like Costner might have never found love again, he impressed us all.
What He's Up To Now
Besides balancing being a famous actor and a family man, Costner is also a well-known political activist. Starting out as a Republican, he switched his affiliation to become a Democrat and has since financially supported a variety of politicians.
In 2008, he helped to campaign for Barack Obama and in 2014, sent a special message to British troops in service. On the acting spectrum, he acted in the film Highwaymen, is on the show Yellowstone, with The Art of Racing in the Rain and Let Him Go both being in post-production.