Kevin Costner is having a moment. In December, Kristin Cavallari revealed the 70-year-old actor is her “forever crush” in an Instagram Story, and later that month, Costner made headlines when he was spotted with Jennifer Lopez at hotspot Kemo Sabe in Aspen, Colo. It wasn’t the first time the internet was abuzz over his chemistry with a fellow A-lister: In November, he was reportedly seen flirting with Sharon Stone at an event in L.A., and last summer, fans were shipping Costner and Hoda Kotb following their apparent connection during his appearance on Today. Kotb even later coyly admitted she was open to the idea of dating the star when she was informed viewers were rooting for them.
Nearly two years since Costner was blindsided by his divorce from his wife of 18 years, Christine Baumgartner, he’s clearly back in the saddle. (Baumgartner has also moved on: she got engaged to financier — and Costner’s former friend — Josh Connor in late January.) “It was tough at the beginning, but Kevin has no regrets about the divorce and believes it was the best decision for both him and Christine,” a source tells Us, adding that the exes are coparenting their three children “amicably.” (They share Cayden, 17, Hayes, 16, and Grace, 14; Costner is also dad to Annie, 40, Lily, 38, Joe, 37, and Liam, 28, from previous relationships.)
He’s in high demand work-wise, too. On Jan. 24, Costner announced via social media that the second installment of his epic passion project, Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2, would make its debut at the Santa Barbara Film Festival on Feb. 8, and he recently kicked off a threepart docuseries on Fox Nation called Yellowstone to Yosemite with Kevin Costner. Between 2018 and 2023, he helped make Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone a massive hit as steely patriarch John Dutton, and fans of the popular Western series have yet to get over his season 5 departure from the show. “He’s grateful for the resurgence Yellowstone brought to his career,” says the source, “but it’s best to leave at the top, and he feels like he did that.”
The still-impossibly hunky star is taking the newfound attention in stride. “Kevin’s flattered by all the admiration,” says the source, “but he isn’t taking it too seriously.” Yet he remains open to finding love again. “People are supposed to be together,” he told Extra in June. “I’m sure that could happen for me.” The source tells Us that for Costner, “2025 is all about figuring out his projects and carving out time for his personal life. He wants to get out more and maybe meet the right person. He feels optimistic.”
Turning 70 on Jan. 18 “was a huge milestone,” says the source, “but age isn’t something Kevin dwells on. He’s busier than ever. He feels great.” Here, Us reveals how Costner manages to stay relevant, driven — and oh-so-crushworthy — after all these years.
He’s a Hollywood Powerhouse
Costner has worked steadily since his breakout roles in films like Field of Dreams and Bull Durham. But he had something of a career renaissance after Yellowstone debuted in 2018. (His final season on the Paramount+ show premiered to an impressive 15.9 million viewers; the source tells Us that despite Costner’s premature exit, he had “no significant conflicts” with his castmates.) Work is a driving force for him. “If you can stay interested in what you’re doing, it will keep you younger,” he’s said. “Being engaged in what you do will sustain you.” Adds the source: “Kevin doesn’t see aging as a hindrance. He has tons of goals to accomplish. He wants to direct more and explore new creative outlets. Even at his age, he continues to evolve as an artist and storyteller.”
As for retirement, it’s not something he’s thinking about right now. “People say, ‘Man, this should be the moment in time where you’re pulling back and catching some waves,’” he told AARP magazine in 2024. “I don’t think they’re wrong, but it’s not my way.”
He Bets on Himself
Costner famously put $38 million of his own money (and the mortgage of one of his beach houses) into Horizon, an ambitious, four-part film series about settlers in the American West. The first part debuted in June, and the sequel — which was delayed — will premiere at the 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival in early February. Chapters 3 and 4 are still in development, and although the first installment flopped at the box office, Costner is determined to bring both to fruition. “Horizon is a passion project,” says the source, “and that’s why Kevin invested so much into it, regardless of the financial risk.”
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1494518166/1739354001/articles/VnDn4Iyyp1739446078352/N3naif3al1739446280615.jpg]
It’s not the first time he’s put it all on the line professionally for something he cared about. Costner said that in the late ’80s, he passed up “more money than I’d ever seen” when he chose to direct Dances with Wolves over starring in The Hunt for Red October. “I made this promise that I would go do this movie,” he said. Dances with Wolves went on to receive 12 Academy Awards nominations, and he won for Best Picture and Best Director. “That’s the message I want my kids to understand about who I am,” he told GQ in May. “T...
Nearly two years since Costner was blindsided by his divorce from his wife of 18 years, Christine Baumgartner, he’s clearly back in the saddle. (Baumgartner has also moved on: she got engaged to financier — and Costner’s former friend — Josh Connor in late January.) “It was tough at the beginning, but Kevin has no regrets about the divorce and believes it was the best decision for both him and Christine,” a source tells Us, adding that the exes are coparenting their three children “amicably.” (They share Cayden, 17, Hayes, 16, and Grace, 14; Costner is also dad to Annie, 40, Lily, 38, Joe, 37, and Liam, 28, from previous relationships.)
He’s in high demand work-wise, too. On Jan. 24, Costner announced via social media that the second installment of his epic passion project, Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2, would make its debut at the Santa Barbara Film Festival on Feb. 8, and he recently kicked off a threepart docuseries on Fox Nation called Yellowstone to Yosemite with Kevin Costner. Between 2018 and 2023, he helped make Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone a massive hit as steely patriarch John Dutton, and fans of the popular Western series have yet to get over his season 5 departure from the show. “He’s grateful for the resurgence Yellowstone brought to his career,” says the source, “but it’s best to leave at the top, and he feels like he did that.”
The still-impossibly hunky star is taking the newfound attention in stride. “Kevin’s flattered by all the admiration,” says the source, “but he isn’t taking it too seriously.” Yet he remains open to finding love again. “People are supposed to be together,” he told Extra in June. “I’m sure that could happen for me.” The source tells Us that for Costner, “2025 is all about figuring out his projects and carving out time for his personal life. He wants to get out more and maybe meet the right person. He feels optimistic.”
Turning 70 on Jan. 18 “was a huge milestone,” says the source, “but age isn’t something Kevin dwells on. He’s busier than ever. He feels great.” Here, Us reveals how Costner manages to stay relevant, driven — and oh-so-crushworthy — after all these years.
He’s a Hollywood Powerhouse
Costner has worked steadily since his breakout roles in films like Field of Dreams and Bull Durham. But he had something of a career renaissance after Yellowstone debuted in 2018. (His final season on the Paramount+ show premiered to an impressive 15.9 million viewers; the source tells Us that despite Costner’s premature exit, he had “no significant conflicts” with his castmates.) Work is a driving force for him. “If you can stay interested in what you’re doing, it will keep you younger,” he’s said. “Being engaged in what you do will sustain you.” Adds the source: “Kevin doesn’t see aging as a hindrance. He has tons of goals to accomplish. He wants to direct more and explore new creative outlets. Even at his age, he continues to evolve as an artist and storyteller.”
As for retirement, it’s not something he’s thinking about right now. “People say, ‘Man, this should be the moment in time where you’re pulling back and catching some waves,’” he told AARP magazine in 2024. “I don’t think they’re wrong, but it’s not my way.”
He Bets on Himself
Costner famously put $38 million of his own money (and the mortgage of one of his beach houses) into Horizon, an ambitious, four-part film series about settlers in the American West. The first part debuted in June, and the sequel — which was delayed — will premiere at the 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival in early February. Chapters 3 and 4 are still in development, and although the first installment flopped at the box office, Costner is determined to bring both to fruition. “Horizon is a passion project,” says the source, “and that’s why Kevin invested so much into it, regardless of the financial risk.”
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1494518166/1739354001/articles/VnDn4Iyyp1739446078352/N3naif3al1739446280615.jpg]
It’s not the first time he’s put it all on the line professionally for something he cared about. Costner said that in the late ’80s, he passed up “more money than I’d ever seen” when he chose to direct Dances with Wolves over starring in The Hunt for Red October. “I made this promise that I would go do this movie,” he said. Dances with Wolves went on to receive 12 Academy Awards nominations, and he won for Best Picture and Best Director. “That’s the message I want my kids to understand about who I am,” he told GQ in May. “T...
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Us Weekly (Digital) - 1 Issue, February 24, 2025