Christine Baumgartner Engaged to Kevin Costner’s Former Friend After Contentious Divorce
Christine Baumgartner Engaged to Kevin Costner’s Former Friend Josh Connor
Christine Baumgartner, the ex-wife of actor Kevin Costner, has found love again. She is now engaged to financier Josh Connor, a former friend and one-time neighbor of the Yellowstone star. The couple has reportedly been together for over a year.
Connor proposed to Baumgartner, 50, during a quiet moment on the beach in Santa Barbara, California, on January 26 — just under a year after her divorce from Costner was finalized. “It was about to rain, so almost no one else was on the beach when Josh got down on one knee,” a source shared. The couple had recently spent Christmas together in New York City, where their relationship began. Friends say they are “over the moon” and excited for the future.
The couple was previously spotted together in December arriving at Il Totano, a New York City restaurant owned by Top Chef winner Harold Dieterle. Photos captured Connor, 49, shielding Baumgartner from the rain with an umbrella as they smiled walking together.
Connor’s connection to Baumgartner and Costner dates back years. He lived nearby during the couple’s marriage and was pulled into their high-profile divorce, which began when Baumgartner filed in May 2023 after 18 years of marriage. The pair officially separated on April 11, 2023.
Baumgartner and Connor were first seen together publicly during a family trip to Hawaii in July 2023, accompanied by her three children with Costner: Cayden, 17, Hayes, 15, and Grace, 14. At the time, Baumgartner’s attorney described the relationship as purely platonic during a child support hearing in August. However, the two were later seen holding hands, and by early 2024, a source confirmed they were indeed a couple.
“Christine and Josh’s relationship started as a friendship, so they have a really strong foundation,” a friend said. “They share the same values, and she feels happy and supported. It’s been a very natural and positive step forward for Christine.”
Costner, 70, was ordered to pay $63,209 per month in child support as part of the divorce settlement. Though the actor has not publicly commented on his ex-wife’s relationship with Connor, sources claim he had long suspected a romantic connection between the two prior to their public debut.
