Kevin Costner’s Choice to Date Wealthy Director During Career Struggles Might Be a ‘Happy Coincidence’

Kevin Costner is turning heads in Hollywood by dating a wealthy divorcée who bears a striking resemblance to his ex-wife, all while struggling to secure funding for his ambitious passion project, Horizon: An American Saga. The 70-year-old former Yellowstone star started dating 24-year-old Kelly Noonan just eight months after her split from a Wall Street billionaire worth $2.2 billion.

Sources say, “Kevin probably wouldn’t be with Kelly if he didn’t genuinely like her, but you have to wonder if part of him is hoping for a financial boost.” The Dances With Wolves legend’s fortune — once estimated at nearly $400 million — has reportedly taken a hit. In late 2023, a Los Angeles judge ordered Costner to pay $63,209 a month in child support for his three children with ex-wife Christine Baumgartner, 51, who looks almost identical to Noonan, 46.

Costner’s largely self-funded Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 — which he directed, co-wrote, and starred in — earned just $11 million in its opening weekend against a $100 million budget. He invested as much as $50 million of his own money into the box office disappointment, even mortgaging 10 acres of his Santa Barbara property.

“I need more money — that’s for sure,” Costner admitted, as he plans to make two more films in the series to follow the yet-to-be widely released Chapter 2. Sources speculate his struggles to finance the sequels may be due to leaving Yellowstone early to focus on this project.

“He left some powerful Hollywood players holding the bag,” a source explains. “That’s likely coming back to haunt him.”

Noonan — who divorced corporate raider Alec Gores, 72, after eight years of marriage — could be a lifeline for Kevin in more ways than one, as she also owns a film studio.

“No one’s saying Kevin is dating her just for the money,” a source notes, “but it could definitely turn out to be a happy coincidence.”