Kevin Costner has been in the acting game for a long time, and his careers had plenty of hits and misses. But that is nothing compared to the whirlwind that is Costner’s love life. He’s love and lost, but generally kept quiet about his dating experiences. At least until recently, when he finally opened up about finding the love of his life.
First Loves
Kevin Costner first fell in love while attending college at California State University, Fullerton. It was there he met his first wife, Cindy Silva. Talking about in an interview in 1998, Costner said, “She was beautiful, she was sweet, she was smarter than me […] She represented everything about women that I like.” The two were married in 1978 and lived a happy life together, having three children named Annie, Lily, and Joe.
First Divorce
The pair had 16 happy years together, but they simply weren’t meant to stay together. Not long after filming had wrapped on Dances with Wolves, rumors had begun to circulate that Costner had been unfaithful. They attempted to reconcile, but just couldn’t make it work. In 1994, they officially announced their divorce. They ended things amicably, but it was a shock to everyone. At least to fans of Costner.
Marriage Isn’t Bliss
However, before announcing their plans to divorce, Costner had hinted at their relationship weakening. It was an interview with Daily News that Costner said as much. “The temptation are pretty strong — and there’s a hungry world out there waiting for you to fall,” he had said. “So you can’t even dabble without paying a huge price. I try to conduct my life with a certain amount of dignity and discretion, but marriage is a hard, hard gig.”
Rumors
Over the years, there have been several rumors relating to who Costner was dating or seeing. One included a rumor that he was dating actress Halle Berry while he was still married to Cindy Silva. Supposedly it had started in 1989 shortly after Berry had begun her acting career. They never commented on the rumors, but still remain friends. And only a year after that, people began accusing Costner of infidelity again, this time saying he had been having a relationship with Michelle Pfeiffer.
The Single Life
After his divorce, Costner spent a fair amount of time a bachelor. It was common for him to be seen with different women on his arm at different events. People actually began to think he was just a womanizer. Although, people seemed to forget his time as a family man and his years of faithful marriage before this. He just seemed to lose the respect of many people for his actions, even if he was just trying to have a good time.
Women On His Arm
People seeing Costner go around with so many different women on his arm stirred up quite the bit of controversy. Tabloids soon started writing up articles based off of their own crack theories, and taking photos out of context. A lot of this likely wasn’t even true. Costner, himself, wasn’t afraid to own up to his mistakes, but he mostly kept his private life hidden from the public.
Mira Sorvino Of Mighty Aphrodite
A rumor that had sprung up around the time Costner and Silva were finalizing their divorce involved another affair. People had thought that Costner was in a relationship with actress Mira Sorvino. However, unlike some of the other supposed flings he had, this one wasn’t as high profile. The affair supposedly began in 1993 and Sorvino didn’t become more famous until starting in Mighty Aphrodite in 1995.
Someone Actually Admitted It
While many of these relationships are merely speculation, there are a few people that actually admitted to having relationships with Costner. Model and actress Bobbie Jean Brown actually said she went on a few dates with Costner. She even described their relationship in a memoir called Dirty Rocker Boys Love and Lust on the Sunset Strip.
Peggy Trentini And Her Memoir
Another woman that Costner had dated was Peggy Trentini, another actress and model. She had even written another memoir that included details on her relationship with Costner. Her book was titled Once Upon a Star: Celebrity Kiss and Tell Stories. However, after releasing the book, she switched her profession to real estate.
Some Sort Of Affair
Almost immediately after his divorce, Costner had a brief relationship with Bridget Rooney, an actress who also happens to be a part of the family that owns the Pittsburgh Steelers. The exact time frame of their relationship is unknown, but it’s believed they were together between 1995 and 1996. And to many people’s surprise, Rooney gave birth a son in 1996. And it wasn’t just any child, but Liam Costner. Kevin apparently didn’t have a good relationship with his child at first, refusing to accept them as his own until he took a paternity test. After it came back positive, Kevin set up a trust fund for him.
Holly, Nicollete, Andrea, or Z0e
Holly Sampson has also claimed to have dated Costner, briefly soon after his divorce. If you’re unfamiliar with her, she’s an actress and model that was featured in episodes of Wonder Years, My Two Dads, Beauty and the Beast, and Matlock. She’s also gone by the names Nicolette Foster, Andrea Michaels, and Zoe. She later became an adult film actress.
A Few Other Rumored Flings
It’s become rather clear that Costner has a thing for models. So it wouldn’t be too surprising to hear that he dated Naomi Campbell, a world-famous supermodel. Although, this is only a rumor. Another rumor was him dating Karin Reznack, an actress and screenwriter. However, neither woman ever admitted to being in a relationship with him and went out to date other men.
Yes, That Cheryl Tiegs
Potentially the biggest of those rumors was when he supposedly dated Cheryl Tiegs. For those unaware, Tiegs is another famous supermodel as well as a fashion designer. In 1995, the same year Costner and Tiegs suppsoedly went out, she had launched her sportswear collection and had been featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and TIME magazine.
Caught In The Act
The final rumor relating to Costner’s love life includes another affair. Supposedly, he had been caught with Cal Ripken Jr.’s wife. After years of portraying baseball players in movies, Costner said that he had become close with some of Ripkens’ friends. And he was then caught with Ripken’s wife, who proceeded to beat him into submission. An electrical failure at what would have been his next game led to a cancellation. Although, supposedly this was all a lie, as Ripken was simply too heartbroken to properly perform at the next game.
3,000 Miles To Graceland
Costner found himself working with an old flame in 2001 when they made the film 3,000 Miles to Graceland. Him and Courtney Cox had previously been involved back in 1995. Although, it was clear that they weren’t meant to be.
Good Morning Joan Lunden
One of Costner’s bigger relationships before meeting his true love was with Joan Lunden. A journalist, author, and television host, Lunden had been hosting Good Morning America between 1980 and 1997. During the time they were dating, Costner was trying to promote his film Waterworld. However, the pair found themselves constantly hounded by paparazzi and decided to break things off. Lunden, herself, believes they would’ve stayed together longer if they hadn’t been constantly hounded by the press.
Falling In Love Again?
People thought that Costner may have finally been ready to fall in love again in 1996 when he met Elle MacPherson. She was a businesswoman, television host, model, and actress. Their relationship moved very quickly, with them moving in together after only a couple of months. Costner had even said he may have met his equal with her. But, they didn’t last and eventually broke up.
Enter Christine
And when all hope seemed as though it was lost, Costner had met his match. He had been experimenting a lot with different kinds of women, but he had finally met his true love in Christine Baumgartner. The two had met years before when Costner was practicing golf for his film, Tin Cup. Costner even admitted in an interview when talking about Christine, “I wasn’t prepared to be in love again.”
Just Not Ready
Costner has openly admitted that, since his divorce with Cindy, his love life’s been all over the place. He was constantly jumping around dating all kinds of women. But when he began dating Christine, things started to change. It seemed as though he was in love again. But, there was one snag in their relationship: Costner wasn’t ready to commit to children. Him and Baumgartner broke up in 2002.
Facing His Fears
But it was after breaking up with Christine that Costner realized his mistakes. He was afraid of marrying her because she wanted a child. he was afraid of being a poor father. But then it had occurred to him that he wasn’t willing to lose her over that fear. And he took the leap.
And The Rest Is History
Costner and Baumgartner rekindled their relationship. And in 2004, they were married. The ceremony took place privately at Costner’s estate in Aspen, Colorado, with 300 guests in attendance. It was Costner’s second marriage, but he truly seemed in love with his new wife.
Welcoming Someone New Into The World
For the first three years of their marriage, the Costner Family were just the parents. But in 2007, Christine gave birth to their first son, Cayden. And after that, the number of films Costner began to appear in declined. He wanted to take a break from making big movies in order to be a father. In 2009, their second son Hayes was born. And in 2010, their daughter Grace.
Becoming A Father
Costner wanted to be the one to teach his children about the intricacies of life. He had started to become an especially determined and confident father. As a father, he also doesn’t play favorites, whether they came from his first marriage or second. Despite his visage as one of Hollywood’s biggest playboys, he had really become quite the father.
Returning To The Silver Screen
Coster did finally decide to go back to acting after years away from the film industry. He decided to make Man of Steel in 2013. But he’s said that he won’t make a movie unless he can do it the way he wants. While he loves acting, he calls parenting to be the more fulfilling job.
The Road To Happiness
It took Costner a long time to get his priorities in order. He went through many hardships and confusing times. He was afraid of commitment, after being stung by his divorce, but after 18 years with Christine and 15 as a father, it appears as though Costner’s finally found the happiness he always wanted.
