Christine Baumgartner first became known as Kevin Costner’s wife, but her story is bigger than that headline. She is a former model and handbag designer who spent almost two decades married to one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Then came one of the most public divorces of 2023. Today, Christine Baumgartner has remarried, rebuilt her life in Santa Barbara, and largely stepped out of the public eye. This guide covers her career, her marriage, the divorce battle, and her new chapter with financier Josh Connor.
Christine Baumgartner Biography
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Christine Anne Baumgartner |
| Date of Birth | March 4, 1974 |
| Place of Birth | California, United States |
| Age | 52 (as of 2026) |
| Nationality | American |
| Zodiac Sign | Pisces |
| Profession/Occupation | Former model, handbag designer, entrepreneur |
| Education | California State University, Fullerton (Business) |
| Genre/Field | Fashion and accessories design |
| Spouse/Partner | Josh Connor (m. October 18, 2025); Kevin Costner (m. 2004, div. 2024) |
| Dating/Relationship Status | Married |
| Children | Cayden Wyatt, Hayes Logan, Grace Avery Costner |
| Parents | Jim Baumgartner (father) |
| Notable Works | Founder of Cat Bag Couture |
Who Is Christine Baumgartner?
Christine Baumgartner is an American handbag designer and former model. She founded the label Cat Bag Couture in the 2000s. Most people know her as the ex-wife of actor Kevin Costner, whom she married in 2004 and divorced after 18 years of marriage.
Her public profile grew because of her husband’s fame, not because she chased the spotlight. For most of the marriage she kept a low profile, appearing mainly at red carpet events and family occasions. That changed in May 2023, when her divorce filing became front-page news.
From covering celebrity divorces for years, I’ve found that the spouse who isn’t famous usually gets reduced to a footnote. Christine’s case is different. Her court fight over the prenup and child support made her a real figure in her own story, and people kept searching for her long after the headlines faded.
Early Life and Education
Christine was born on March 4, 1974, and grew up in California. Her father is Jim Baumgartner. She has kept details about the rest of her family private, which fits the low-key approach she took for most of her adult life.
After high school, she went to California State University, Fullerton, and studied business. That background mattered later. When she moved into fashion, she treated it as a business, not just a creative hobby.
She was drawn to style early on and started out as a model. Her modeling work, along with her business training, laid the groundwork for the handbag company she would build in her early thirties.
Modeling Career and Cat Bag Couture
Christine’s biggest professional achievement is Cat Bag Couture, a handbag label she started in the mid-2000s with former business partner Tamara Muro. The brand made designer bags in day and evening styles, and many pieces were named after family and friends.
The label got an early boost in 2005, when its bags appeared on Desperate Housewives. That kind of placement was huge for a small brand at the time. She also designed a laptop collection, stylish laptop covers made for women who wanted something better than a plain black case.
Cat Bag Couture also had a charity side. Part of the sales went to the OmniPeace Foundation, which supports children in need. Christine later also backed music education, a cause that fits her family’s love of music.
The business slowed as she focused on raising three children. During the child support case, Costner’s side argued that she should get a job, and court documents noted she had been out of the workforce with no income for years. She has been mostly offline since then, and the catbagcouture.com website has not been actively revived.
How Christine Baumgartner and Kevin Costner Met
The couple first crossed paths in the 1980s on a golf course, when Christine was still in her teens or early twenties and Costner was married to his first wife, Cindy Silva. They exchanged a few words, but nothing romantic happened at the time.
They reconnected in the late 1990s, after Costner’s 1994 divorce. They then dated for about four years. The biggest issue was children. Christine wanted a family. Costner, who already had kids, was afraid of having more and worried about being an effective father to another family.
That fear led to a brief breakup in 2003. They reconciled soon after, and Costner later said he realized he didn’t want to lose her. They became engaged and married the next year.
Their 2004 Wedding at Dunbar Ranch
Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner married in September 2004 at Costner’s Dunbar Ranch in Aspen, Colorado. The 160-acre property had three homes and two lakes, which made it a private, scenic setting for the ceremony.
The day had a strong Western feel. Christine reportedly arrived in a horse-drawn carriage, and the couple left in a vintage pickup truck. Close family and friends attended, and the event stayed fairly private for a celebrity wedding.
The ranch itself is large. The main house is often described as having 12 bedrooms and eight bathrooms. For Costner, the property was a retreat away from Hollywood, and the wedding showed how much he valued land and family over flashy events.
Christine Baumgartner’s Children
Christine and Kevin share three children, two sons and a daughter:
| Child | Born | Age (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Cayden Wyatt Costner | May 2007 | 19 |
| Hayes Logan Costner | February 2009 | 17 |
| Grace Avery Costner | June 2010 | 16 |
Christine is also the stepmother of Costner’s four other children. Annie, Lily, and Joe are from his marriage to Cindy Silva. Liam, born in 1996, is his son with Bridget Rooney. Costner’s older children are all adults now.
During the divorce, both parents asked for joint custody. Their children’s needs became the center of the child support battle. Both sides kept saying they wanted to protect the kids, even while their lawyers argued over money.
Before the Split: The Golden Globes Watch Party
A few months before the divorce, things looked normal from the outside. In January 2023, Costner won a Golden Globe for Yellowstone, but he couldn’t attend the Los Angeles ceremony because floods hit Southern California and Montecito, where the family lived.
Christine had already chosen a dress and planned to attend in person. Instead, the family held a last-minute watch party at home. She posted a video of the moment, and fans saw a warm family scene.
Looking back, that video stands out. Less than three months later, the couple had separated. It’s a reminder that a happy social media post often tells you very little about what’s happening inside a marriage.
The Divorce Filing
Christine filed for divorce in Santa Barbara on May 1, 2023, citing irreconcilable differences. She listed April 11, 2023, as the separation date and asked for joint custody of their three children.
A Costner representative confirmed the split and asked the public to respect the family’s privacy. Reports said Costner was shocked and felt forced into the situation. Christine was later seen without her wedding ring.
What prompted the filing is still unclear. Neither side has given a single reason. Later court documents suggested she had been unhappy for a while, especially about his work schedule, but no official cause beyond irreconcilable differences was ever stated.
The Prenup and the Montecito House Dispute
The couple had signed a prenuptial agreement before the 2004 wedding, and it shaped the whole divorce. Under the prenup, Christine was to receive a $1.5 million payout and had to leave the Montecito family residence within 30 days of filing.
She didn’t leave right away, so Costner’s team went to court. Christine argued she was pressured to sign the prenup and did not fully understand the terms. Costner’s side said she signed voluntarily, with her own lawyer. The court upheld the agreement and ordered her to move out by July 31, 2023.
Costner’s lawyers said he offered to help with the move, including a $200,000 down payment toward a new home. Christine leased a four-bedroom home nearby. The prenup also reportedly contained an in terrorem clause, which could make her forfeit payments if she challenged the agreement and lost.
The house fight was bitter. Costner said he had lost his home base while she stayed. Christine said Costner was trying to force her and their children out. In my experience reading these kinds of filings, housing disputes usually signal that a divorce will turn contentious, and this one did.
The Child Support Battle
Child support became the biggest public fight. Christine requested $248,000 per month, based on Costner’s high income, including his Yellowstone salary. Costner called the number inflated and said it went far beyond the children’s reasonable needs.
Here’s how the numbers moved:
| Stage | Monthly Amount |
|---|---|
| Christine’s request | $248,000 |
| Costner’s proposal | $51,940 |
| Temporary order (summer 2023) | $129,000 |
| Final ruling (September 2023) | $63,209 |
Judge Thomas P. Anderle set the final amount at a hearing in September 2023. That was about half of the temporary award and roughly a quarter of what Christine had asked for. Costner’s 2022 income, almost $20 million, was a key factor in the calculation.
The judge also ordered Christine to pay $14,237.50 toward Costner’s legal fees, tied to a discovery dispute. The ruling showed the court was trying to balance both sides, giving her a high monthly amount but not the “outrageous” figure Costner’s team had pushed back on.
Settlement and Finalized Divorce
The couple settled all divorce issues in September 2023, just before a planned trial. They signed a Marital Settlement Agreement and kept its details private.
The divorce was finalized in February 2024, with paperwork dated around Feb. 15, 2024. Christine was represented by Laura Wasser, one of Hollywood’s best-known divorce lawyers.
Both sides called it an amicable resolution. After months of public fighting, the quick and quiet ending surprised many people. It also let the couple focus on co-parenting rather than continuing a long court fight.
Did Yellowstone Play a Role in the Split?
Many fans asked whether Yellowstone caused the breakup. Costner left the show after a dispute over filming season 5, which the studio split into two parts. There were reports of schedule delays and public attacks between Costner and the studio.
Costner wanted time for Horizon, his own Western project, which was filmed in Utah. Court documents suggested Christine felt his career came before the family. But both sides have denied that Yellowstone itself was the reason for the divorce.
There was also talk that Christine didn’t want to move to Montana, where Yellowstone was filmed, and that this added strain. Those claims were denied. My reading is that the show was part of a bigger picture of long work hours, not a single cause.
The Daniel Starr Rumors
During the divorce, rumors spread about Christine and Daniel Starr, a businessman and real estate developer. He had rented the guest house at Costner’s Santa Barbara property, and he and Christine spent a lot of time together.
Some reports suggested a romantic involvement. Christine denied it, and there’s no evidence that the friendship was more than that. The rumors faded once her relationship with Josh Connor became public.
Christine Baumgartner and Josh Connor
Josh Connor is a financier who works in the financial sector. He was a former neighbor and longtime friend of Costner, which made the relationship a sensitive topic.
The pair were first linked in summer 2023, when they vacationed in Hawaii in July with a group of friends. At the time, both said it was just friendship. Costner reportedly felt hurt, and Connor became known as his “former friend.”
The relationship was confirmed in January 2024. People close to the couple said they shared the same values and had grown close over time. Christine has said little in public, but sources described her as happy and settled.
The Engagement
Connor proposed after about one year of dating, in January 2025. The proposal happened in Santa Barbara during a quiet dinner for two. Their inner circle said the engagement was not a surprise, given how serious the couple had become.
The Wedding (October 18, 2025)
Christine married Josh Connor on Saturday, October 18, 2025, in a private vineyard ceremony on a 100-acre property in California. Just over 100 guests attended, and the ceremony took place just before sunset.
The celebration began with a welcome party on Friday night, October 17. Their children were part of the day. Guests described it as intimate despite the size, a careful, personal event rather than a big celebrity production.
The Wedding Dresses
The bride wore two looks. For the ceremony, she chose a custom Mira Zwillinger gown with a sweetheart neckline and hand-embroidered flowers. For the reception, she switched to a strapless satin Lihi Hod dress with a side slit. Connor wore a classic black tuxedo.
The 19-Year Age Gap
Christine is 19 years younger than Costner, who was born in 1955. During the divorce, many people asked whether the age gap played a role.
Licensed counselors interviewed in the press, including GinaMarie Guarino and Brandy Porche, said that large age gaps can bring differences in maturity, life experience, and life stage. Those differences can matter more over time, but they don’t automatically end a marriage.
Many couples with larger age gaps stay together for life. In this case, the gap may have contributed in small ways, like differing views on work and how to spend later years, but it was never named as a cause.
Kevin Costner’s First Divorce and Past Rumors
Christine was Costner’s second wife. He was married to actress Cindy Silva for 16 years before their divorce in 1994. That split was one of the most expensive celebrity divorces of its time, with a settlement reported at around $80 million. Costner later said the divorce shook him and his faith.
His first marriage was also hit by cheating rumors. During the filming of Waterworld in Hawaii, tabloids reported an alleged affair with a hula dancer named Michelle Amaral. Those claims resurfaced during the Baumgartner divorce, but they have never been proven, and Costner has not confirmed them.
That history helps explain why Costner insisted on a strong prenup the second time. After a costly first divorce, protecting his assets made sense to him.
Kevin Costner After the Divorce
Since the split, Costner has focused on co-parenting, his films, and coaching his kids in sports. He has said he wants to stay grounded and keep talking with his children through the change.
He was briefly linked to singer Jewel after they were seen together in 2024, but both denied a romance. He has also been linked to director Kelly Noonan Gores. Costner has not publicly commented in detail on Christine’s relationship with Connor.
How the Prenup Would Look in a Different State
Prenups aren’t treated the same in every state. Christine’s divorce happened in California, where the court mainly looked at whether she signed voluntarily and understood the terms. Some legal experts asked how the case would have played out somewhere like Massachusetts.
Massachusetts uses a two-step test. The “first look” checks fairness when the agreement was signed: full financial disclosure, independent counsel, and voluntariness. The “second look” checks whether the terms are still fair at the time of enforcement, not unconscionable.
That second look could have helped Christine. She spent nearly two decades raising the three children and managing the home while Costner’s net worth reportedly rose to about $250 million. A court might have weighed whether a $1.5 million payout was still fair and reasonable after that contribution. Under California rules, however, the prenup was enforced as written.
Christine Baumgartner Net Worth
Christine’s net worth has never been publicly confirmed, and online estimates vary widely. Her main sources of wealth are the $1.5 million prenup payout, the terms of her private divorce settlement, and her earlier earnings from modeling and Cat Bag Couture.
Child support goes to the children’s needs and isn’t personal income. Her current lifestyle is also shaped by her marriage to Connor, whose finance career is separate from her own assets. For anyone writing about her finances, it’s best to treat any exact figure online as a guess.
FAQs
How old is Christine Baumgartner?
Christine Baumgartner was born on March 4, 1974, so she is 52 years old in 2026. Her zodiac sign is Pisces.
Who is Christine Baumgartner married to now?
She married financier Josh Connor on October 18, 2025, in a private vineyard ceremony. The couple got engaged in January 2025 after about a year of dating.
How long were Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner married?
They married in September 2004 and separated in April 2023, which makes about 18 years of marriage. The divorce was finalized in February 2024.
How much child support does Kevin Costner pay Christine?
The judge set child support at $63,209 per month in September 2023. That was far below the $248,000 per month she originally requested.
What does Christine Baumgartner do for a living?
She is a former model and the founder of the handbag label Cat Bag Couture. She stepped back from the business to raise her children and has kept a low profile since.
Does Christine Baumgartner live in Santa Barbara?
Yes, she still lives in the Santa Barbara area, close to her children. After leaving the Montecito family home in 2023, she leased a house nearby.
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