Kevin Costner's ex engaged to family friend after finalizing divorce from 'Yellowstone' star

If anyone reading this was hoping to have a shot with Kevin Costner's ex-wife, Christine Baumgartner, that opportunity has probably closed.

FoxNews.com is reporting that Baumgartner is off the market after getting engaged to financier Joshua Connor.

People magazine is credited with breaking the story to the masses.

Rumors were swirling

Even though "Yellowstone" star Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner didn't make their divorce official until February 2024, rumors about Baumgartner and Connor being an item have been around since July 2023, when the two were spotted on vacation in Hawaii.

A little more than a year after Baumgartner and Connor were spotted together, the pair confirmed their relationship once Baumgartner's divorce from Costner had been finalized. The two were walking hand-in-hand in Santa Barbara, California, when they confirmed their relationship.

Reports indicate that Connor proposed after an intimate dinner in Santa Barbara. "It was about to rain, so almost no one else was on the beach when Josh got down on one knee," one source said. Representatives for Baumgartner's ex-husband, Kevin Costner, did not immediately respond to Fox's request for a comment on the situation.

According to Fox, "Baumgartner filed for divorce on May 1, 2023, citing irreconcilable differences. In documents obtained by Fox News Digital, Christine cited April 11 as the date of separation."

Divorce terms

Going through a divorce must be hard enough, but doing it as a celebrity couple means that the public is going to learn a lot about things going on behind the scenes. Baumgartner initially requested a quarter-million dollars per month in child support for the three children she shares with Kevin Costner.

A judge set a temporary monthly child support sum of $130,000 in July 2024, with that figure being decreased to $63,000 in monthly payments by September 2024. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated in 2022 that the median annual earnings for all workers in America was under $50,000.

Joshua Connor's name was a focal point of Costner and Baumgartner's child custody payment hearing last year when Costner's legal team called into question a $20,000 loan from a "boyfriend" simply labeled as "Josh."

Baumgartner took the stand during the hearing and insisted that Connor was only a longtime friend of "seven or eight years." She was asked, "Is he your boyfriend?" Baumgartner replied, "No."

Christine Baumgartner recalled travelling to Hawaii with Connor and his daughter without Kevin Costner. Costner was reportedly unable to attend because "he wanted to do a speech with a hunting club." Still, the Costner's footed the bill for the vacation home where the families stayed.

"Can't remember"

Costner's lawyer then pressed Baumgartner about the $20,000 gift.

"I can’t remember if it was before or after the March or July trips to Hawaii," Baumgartner said. "He gave me $20,000."

"I gave $10,000 to my mother," Baumgartner said while getting emotional. "She was concerned about her house.

Regardless of what side you're on in this divorce, it's a sad situation when people's personal problems and their children are dragged into a messy public setting. Please pray for everyone involved.