Kevin Costner 'blindsided' as wife Christine files for divorce after 19 years

03 May 2023 , 03:18

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Kevin Costner and wife Christine Baumgartner are set to divorce after 19 years of marriage (Image: AFP)

Oscar winner Kevin Costner has started divorce proceedings with his wife, Christine Baumgartner, of almost 19 years.

On Tuesday, the 68-year-old actor's representative released a statement confirming the news of their impending split.

Costner's publicist Arnold Robinson 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."

Costner and Baumgartner, a model and handbag designer, began dating in 1998 before getting married at his Colorado ranch in 2004. The couple have two sons, aged 15 and 14, as well as a 12-year-old daughter.

The news was confirmed by Costner's publicist in a statement on Tuesday (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

This is Costner's second marriage after eloping with college sweetheart Cindy Silva in 1978. They divorced in 1994 and they share three adult children together. He also shares a son - born in 1996 - following a brief relationship with Bridget Rooney.

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The Hollywood actor has starred in neo-Western drama Yellowstone, which saw him collect a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series Drama in January, since its debut in 2018.

The popular programme, which has spawned several spin-off shows, is currently in its fifth season but reports have suggested it could end after the series due to friction between Costner and the show's creator Taylor Sheridan.

The couple share three children together (Getty Images)

The series - which follows the Dutton family, who own the largest ranch in Montana - debuted in 2018 and has already spawned several spin-off shows including 1883.

The fifth season of Yellowstone began in November last year and the first half of the new series concluded in January. It has now been suggested that the show might not get a sixth season.

The New York Post reported last month that multiple sources have confirmed that the show is set to end after the second half of season five, which has yet to be given an air date.

Kevin Costner as John Dutton III in neo-Western drama Yellowstone

Yellowstone has faced claims that Kevin - who plays patriarch John Dutton III - won't return amid a dispute with Taylor. A source told the outlet: "It's the same as with any showrunner and big star - there's respect, but there's friction.

"Hopefully Kevin will return for the remaining episodes, if everyone works together, but it looks like 'Yellowstone' will end after this season," the source further stated.

Josh Luckhurst