The aftermath of Kevin Costner's high-profile divorce takes another dramatic turn as his former spouse, Christine Baumgartner, finds new love.
According to Daily Mail, Christine Baumgartner, 50, has become engaged to Josh Connor, 49, a financier and former friend of Costner, less than two years after her separation from the Hollywood icon.
The engagement took place during an intimate dinner in Santa Barbara on January 26, 2025, with Connor proposing on a nearly empty beach just before rainfall.
Their relationship became public knowledge in July 2023 when they were first spotted together in Hawaii, merely months after Baumgartner filed for divorce from Costner in May of the same year.
The engagement announcement comes 11 months after Baumgartner and Costner concluded their contentious divorce proceedings.
Their settlement involved extensive legal negotiations regarding child and spousal support arrangements. Baumgartner now receives $63,209 monthly in child support, significantly less than her initial request of $165,000.
During court proceedings, Baumgartner attempted to overturn their prenuptial agreement to secure alimony payments. Under the existing prenup terms, she was entitled to a $1.5 million lump sum payment and a year's worth of mortgage payments on a new home valued up to $1 million. The judge ultimately upheld the original prenuptial agreement.
The former couple shares joint custody of their three children: Cayden, 17, Hayes, 15, and Grace, 14. Following the divorce filing, Baumgartner was required to vacate Costner's $145 million Carpinteria compound.
A source revealed that Costner had previously suspected a connection between Connor and Baumgartner. The situation created tension in their social circle, as Connor was previously a neighbor to the former couple. The source explained: "It was about to rain, so almost no one else was on the beach when Josh got down on one knee."
The newly engaged couple spent Christmas together in December 2024, marking a significant milestone in their relationship. Sources close to the pair indicate that friends and family were not surprised by the engagement announcement, noting the couple's strong connection.
Connor, like Baumgartner, is divorced and has three children from his previous marriage. Their romance was officially confirmed in January 2024, though they had been spotted together multiple times throughout 2023.
Christine Baumgartner and Josh Connor's engagement represents a new beginning following her highly publicized divorce from Kevin Costner. The couple will blend their families, which include six children between them, as they move forward with their marriage plans.
Their engagement announcement caps an 18-month period that saw Baumgartner transition from a contentious divorce battle to finding new love with her former neighbor while the settlement terms with Costner continue to define the financial parameters of their co-parenting arrangement.
