Kevin Costner focuses on new horizon following 2023 divorce battle with ex Christine Baumgartner
Kevin Costner has his eyes on the horizon heading into the new year, following a whirlwind past few months.
The "Field of Dreams" star was locked in a contentious divorce battle with ex Christine Baumgartner after she filed documents to end their 18-year marriage in May.
In September, Costner and Baumgartner agreed to terms of a divorce settlement shortly before they were due back in court to establish who would be responsible for paying her almost $1 million attorneys' fees.
Despite those challenges in 2023, Costner remained focused on his prized "Horizon: An American Saga" Western film series, and received a tentative two-part release date in 2024. The newly-single actor also appeared to catch the eye of Grammy award-winning singer Jewel.
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Amid a four-month, back-and-forth saga involving a host of lawyers and forensic accountants, Costner testified in court that he could soon be involved in more legal drama over money owed from his time on "Yellowstone."
While on the stand in September testifying against Christine's monthly child support request in their divorce battle, Costner hinted there were issues with his last major money-maker, "Yellowstone."
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Time constraints on the Taylor Sheridan show limited his ability to work on his own project, "Horizon." The first movie in the four-part saga is currently in post-production, which Costner considered a "critical" time in the process. "I'm here," Costner told the court.
"Somewhere along the line they wanted to change things," he said of the "Yellowstone" filming process. "They wanted to do 5A and 5B… affected ‘Horizon.’ I was going to do my movie ‘Horizon’ and leave that show, do my movie, then do B."
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"A show I was only doing once a year I was now doing twice."
Costner said he had been offered $24 million to do seasons five, six and seven of "Yellowstone," before scheduling broke down and the show was canceled.
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"I will probably go to court over it," Costner responded when asked by his estranged wife's lawyer if he had received a payout from the latest seasons of "Yellowstone."
He continued, "We did negotiate. There were issues about creative. I tried to break the log jam. They walked away."
Paramount did not respond to Fox News Digital's multiple requests for comment.
In October, Variety reported "Horizon: An American Saga" was scheduled for a June 28, 2024, release date, with the second part of the series set for an Aug. 16 debut. Costner has been working on the epic passion project for 35 years.
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Baumgartner filed for divorce on May 1 citing irreconcilable differences. In documents obtained by Fox News Digital, the former handbag designer cited April 11 as their date of separation.
Costner and Baumgartner both filed for joint custody of their three children: Cayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 13.
Despite the end of his third marriage and a contentious season in his career, the "Tin Cup" actor still had time to give back to his community. Toward the end of September, Costner hosted nearly 1,000 people at his home for the annual One805 charity concert to benefit first responders.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle presented Costner on stage with the Heart of the Community award. Costner's an ambassador for the nonprofit, which was founded in 2018 following the Montecito mudslides that killed 23 residents.
The star-studded event included Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres, with Maroon 5 headlining the fall fundraiser at his $26 million estate in Santa Barbara.
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"Good afternoon everyone," Costner said upon receiving the award. "Now, I get asked a lot by my friends who have no manners, ‘Kev, what’s this place cost? What’s it worth?’ And I can just simply tell you on a day like today it’s worth every penny.
"That you’ll be here to celebrate people you’ll never maybe meet," he continued. "The ones who are the first to rush in. And it's a place that I’ve had a lot of good luck in my life, and I’ve tried to not throw up a wall around it. So, thank you for coming."
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At the start of the year, Costner was also nominated for best actor in a drama series for his role as John Dutton in "Yellowstone" at the Golden Globes. At the time, Costner announced that he would be missing the award show due to flooding from ongoing rainstorms in Los Angeles County.
"Thank you for your support," he said. "I'm really sorry to the Golden Globes and the international press and I hope we're invited back. Thanks."
In October, Costner found his rhythm and returned to the stage in Wyoming to perform with his band, Kevin Costner & Modern West. The group initially formed in 2007 and released a few country albums through the years while touring around the world.
Costner, who grew up playing in a band, had put music on the back burner for a while. It was Christine who encouraged Kevin to pick up the guitar and play once again.
"I kind of hemmed and hawed about all of it and kind of avoided it," he told The Roanoke Times in 2014. "For two years, she kept after me to do it because she saw how much I enjoyed doing it. And finally, I said that I would."
In addition to his return to music, Costner seemed to be feeling more like himself as of late and recently sparked romance rumors with Jewel after the pair appeared together at a charity event in the Caribbean.
The "You Were Meant For Me" singer was spotted cozying up to the "Dances with Wolves" actor in early December at a tennis event benefiting her Inspiring Children Foundation on Richard Branson’s Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands.
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Jewel, who was previously married to professional rodeo cowboy Ty Murray, specifically thanked Costner on Instagram for his help mentoring the kids at her annual fundraiser.
"The relationship between Kevin and Jewel is fresh but not brand new," a source told People magazine. "There is very big attraction on both sides."
They added, "Jewel likes Kevin’s type, and Kevin likes to be in a relationship, so this is cool. He is having fun after his contentious divorce. He is glad that is over."
Fox News Digital's Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report.