Yellowstone star Kevin Costner’s ex-wife Christine Baumgartner is engaged, less than one year after the couple’s divorce.
The pair, who have three children together, finalised the end of their marriage in February last year, after over 18 years together. Baumgartner filed for divorce in May 2023, citing “irreconcilable differences” and listing their date of separation as 11 April 2023. Costner described the event as a “crushing moment”.
Handbag designer Baumgartner, 50, has since moved on with family friend and neighbour Josh Connor. They were first spotted together in Hawaii in July 2023, prompting speculation of a romance.
Last weekend, Connor is said to have gotten down on one knee in Santa Barbara.
"It was about to rain, so almost no one else was on the beach when Josh got down on one knee,” a source close to the couple told People.
Baumgartner is said to have been shocked by the financier’s proposal, expecting an intimate dinner instead.
"They spent Christmas in New York together last month, where it all began,” said the source. "They are both over the moon and excited for their future together."
Connor was dragged into the couple’s legal battle during a child support hearing in August 2023 where an attorney reiterated that the couple were friends and “nothing more than that.”
The pair’s friendship is said to have been the foundation for their blossoming relationship, with a source reporting in December: "Christine and Josh’s relationship started as a friendship, so they have a really strong foundation.
"They share the same values, and she feels so happy and supported in this new relationship."They’re so in love. It’s been a very natural and positive step forward for Christine."
Speaking about the split in an CBS interview in June last year, Costner told Gayle King about his divorce: “That’s a crushing moment. It’s powerful. It hurt, but I go forward.”
He acknowledged that he has “no choice” but to move on, since his children are watching him. “I can’t wilt like a daisy,” Costner continued. “I have to go forward. I have to continue to be who I am, and keep a special eye on who [my children] are.”
