Kevin Costner, 69, Reflects on Challenges and Parenting Teens After Difficult Divorce

Kevin Costner opened up about his difficult divorce from Christine Baumgartner during a candid appearance on The View on Monday morning, sharing the personal challenges he’s faced. The 69-year-old actor, who separated from his wife of 19 years in May 2023, discussed how he’s been navigating these “tough times,” admitting he feels “bruised” by life’s challenges.

As a single father to his three teenage children—Cayden Wyatt, 17, Hayes Logan, 15, and Grace Avery, 14—Kevin described them as “really good kids.” When co-host Sara Haines asked how he copes when life gets tough, he reflected on the life lessons found in movies. “I don’t want to circle this back to movies, but I will for a second,” he said. “For all their phoniness and humor, movies offer a lot of life lessons. We see who the bad guys are, who the buffoons are, and what it means to be noble, even in defeat. When you watch a movie, you get to see who you aspire to be.”

Kevin continued, “Life has taken some bites out of me, and I have to view myself like a character in a film. I know I’m just a person, but who do I want to be? These tough times have pushed me to look outward and ensure those around me are okay. I know I’m bruised, but I’ve been fortunate in life. That doesn’t negate the challenges; life has dealt me some serious blows, and I think I understand who I want to be in both movies and life.”

Reflecting on parenting, he humorously shared, “You’d be shocked, but my life is a lot like yours. I feel like an Uber driver!” He added more seriously, “I’m a single father… that wasn’t my original plan, but that’s where I am. I love watching them succeed. I’ve enjoyed playing with them since they were young, and now I’m having meaningful conversations with them. There’s been a shift… My life is still the same; they have their ups and downs, but I feel lucky.”

Earlier in the day, Kevin hinted at a possible return to Yellowstone during an interview on Today. He also has three adult children—Annie, 40, Lily, 37, and Joe, 36—from his previous marriage to Cindy Silva, and a son, Liam, 26, with former partner Bridget Rooney.

In a recent GQ interview, he further reflected on his split from Christine, emphasizing the gravity of the situation and how he manages both his professional and personal responsibilities. “These are serious matters,” he noted. “I have to address them daily, emotionally and historically. Then there are the immediate needs of my children. That’s my priority.”

In September 2023, Kevin achieved a victory in his divorce proceedings when a judge reduced Christine’s child support payments to $63,000 per month, significantly less than the $129,000 she had been receiving and far below the $161,000 she sought. After the ruling, he remarked, “There are no winners in this difficult battle.”

“When you share a life with someone for that long, there are no winners,” he told Fox News Digital. “It’s this big, unpredictable thing called life, and it can unravel so quickly. One minute, you feel on top of the world, and the next, you realize just how vulnerable you are.”