Kevin Costner’s family friend is slamming “really hurtful” dating rumors about the actor’s estranged wife, Christine Baumgartner. Radar reports that Baumgartner and Josh Connor — a friend of the Costner family — were spotted walking down the beach together in Hawaii. Baumgartner had been vacationing in the Aloha State amidst her divorce from Costner.
After speculation arose that Baumgartner and Connor were romantically linked, Connor’s 79-year-old mother, Susan, told Radar that this is untrue. “That’s such horrible gossip,” she said. “They are family friends.” She asserted, “So, all this nonsense is really hurtful. It is really hurtful.” Radar went on to note that Connor finalized his own divorce, from his ex-wife Patricia Pan, in January. However, despite the circumstances, Susan clarified that the two were only together because their 13-year-old daughters are friends. “His daughter Abbey has been best friends with Grace Costner since first grade!” she told Radar.
The initial reports seemed to have a big impact on Costner. “Kevin doesn’t know what to think or who to trust,” a source said of the rumors that Connor and Baumgartner were dating. “He’s sick over it.” Another insider states that the Yellowstone actor felt it was a “huge slap in the face” that the two had allegedly been seeing one another.
“Kevin’s stunned that Josh, who he’s known for years and considers a good friend, would go on vacation with Christine,” the source added. “He’s being told there’s nothing going on, that they’re strictly friends, but he finds that hard to believe. And even if that’s true and Josh is offering Christine a shoulder to lean on, Kevin still feels incredibly betrayed.”
Baumgartner, 49, filed for divorce from Costner, 68, earlier this month, citing irreconcilable differences and listing the date of separation as April 11. She also requested joint custody of their three teenage children: Cayden, Hayes, and Grace. In his legal response, Costner also cited irreconcilable differences, as well as asked for joint custody of their kids. PEOPLE previously noted that Costner’s filing mentioned a prenup, which is apparently referenced due to potential issues of spousal support, properties, and legal fees. Costner and Baumgartner had been together for 18 years, marrying in 2004.
Later reports shed some light on the reason for the split. A source told PEOPLE Costner’s work schedule was very demanding, which put a strain on the couple’s relationship. The insider added that the actor “knew” his wife was “unhappy.” Despite this fact, the divorce filing was said to be an unexpected “unpleasant surprise.”
“Christine wants them to spend family time at their Santa Barbara home. During filming, Kevin is not around very much. His absence has been very hard for her,” the source said, later adding that one of Costner’s newest projects was a major catalyst in their division. “Christine doesn’t want him to throw himself into another project. He has been obsessed with filming Horizon since last year. She wasn’t happy about it.” Horizon is a movie that Costner has been developing. Some reports have indicated that the passion project led to Costner pulling away more from his hit Paramount Network series Yellowstone, which has now been canceled.