Kevin Costner Opens Up About Finding Love After Years of the Single Life

It’s been a wild ride for Kevin Costner. After going through a rough divorce right when his career was taking off, the Dances with Wolves actor spent years trying to find that one special someone.

Costner spent most of the ’90s enjoying the single life, dating girl after girl with little time in between, ultimately earning himself a reputation as an A-list womanizer. Now, however, it seems that the Hollywood actor has changed his ways.

Kevin Costner’s wild and unpredictable lifestyle has led him to become the subject of numerous tabloid headlines and Hollywood rumors. While he has never been shy when it comes to admitting his wrongdoings, Costner has kept quiet regarding certain aspects of his personal life.

Believe it or not, before all the fame and fortune, Costner was once a one-woman man, happily married to his college sweetheart. However, with success came the temptations of being a celebrity, some of which he simply couldn’t resist…

Kevin Costner first met Cindy Silva while the two were college students attending California State University at Fullerton. “She was beautiful, she was sweet, she was smarter than me,” said Costner in a 1989 interview.

“She represented everything about women that I like.” Costner and Cindy tied the knot in 1978. For several years, the newlyweds were happy together and even had three kids together – Annie, Lily, and Joe. Unfortunately, their relationship wouldn’t stay this way for very long.

Not long after Silva worked together with Costner on his critically-acclaimed film Dances With Wolves, rumors began to emerge regarding infidelity on Costner’s side. The two did what they could to keep their marriage afloat, but eventually decided to call it quits.

In 1994, Cindy and Kevin announced their divorce in a statement which read, “After 16 years together, we are ending our marriage. We have amicably resolved all issues regarding our children and financial affairs and a full marital settlement has been reached.”

Many fans were shocked to learn that Costner’s marriage was coming to an end, but to friends and coworkers, the divorce was no surprise.

“I have a big thirst. A big taste for things…. I hate the fact that I’ve lived by somebody else’s rules and I’ve somehow missed out on something,” said Costner in an interview in 1987. Looking back now, it’s easy to see that the Dances With Wolves actor was hinting that his marriage with Cindy had gone sour.

For some celebrities, fame comes at a price. Just before going public with the divorce, Costner opened up in an interview with the Daily News. “The temptations are pretty strong—and there’s a hungry world out there waiting for you to fall.”

“So you can’t even dabble without paying a huge price. I try to conduct my life with a certain amount of dignity and discretion—but marriage is a hard, hard gig.” Costner’s love life would only become more complicated with time.

Coming off his divorce, Costner had a brief fling with a woman named Bridget Rooney. Rooney is known for being a member of the family that owns and operates the Pittsburgh Steelers NFL franchise in addition to her 2011 movie, Zombie or Not Zombie.

Their relationship was said to last from 1995 until 1996. Although Costner would have preferred to keep his affair with Rooney as quiet as possible and out of the media’s eye, a scandal would eventually surface, drastically changing his plans.

In 1996, Bridget Rooney gave birth to a son, and Costner’s fourth child, Liam Costner. According to reports and rumors, Costner’s relationship with his fourth child was rather strained early on. In fact, Costner only recognized that little Liam was his son after Rooney demanded he take a paternity test.

Once Costner’s paternity test results came back, he opened up a trust fund for the boy. One source told People magazine that Costner visited Liam “occasionally but not on a regular basis.”

While it was never officially confirmed, Costner reportedly engaged in an extra-marital affair with Halle Berry back in 1989, while he was still married to Cindy Silva.

At the time of the rumored fling, Berry had just begun her career as an actress, appearing in 12 episodes of Living Dolls. Neither Costner not Berry have commented on the rumors, but the A-list stars remain friends to this day and have been spotted together in public on various occasions.

Just a year after Costner’s rumored affair with Halle Berry, the Field of Dreams star came face-to-face with yet another tabloid headline regarding a brief rumored romance, this time with Michelle Pfeiffer, the actress who rose to prominence after her portrayal of Elvira Hancock in the 1983 classic film, Scarface.

It turns out that Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry have something in common aside from their rumored Costner flings- they both portrayed Cat Woman at some point in their respective careers.

Another woman who claims to have gone on a few dates with Costner is Bobbie Jean Brown, the actress, model, and former beauty pageant contestant most famous for being the star of Warrant’s music video for their song “Cherry Pie.”

Brown revealed all the juicy details about her fling with Costner in her tell-all memoir titled “Dirty Rocker Boys: Love And Lust On The Sunset Strip.”

Bobbie Jean Brown wasn’t the only celebrity to share some personal details about a low-key relationship with Kevin Costner. Peggy Trentini did the same in her memoir titled “Once Upon A Star: Celebrity Kiss And Tell Stories.”

Trentini rose to fame as a model and actress in the 1980s and 1990s. Since releasing her book, she has left the spotlight to focus on her career in real estate.

Back in 1993, one year before Costner finalized his divorce with Cindy Silva, he was rumored to have engaged in yet another extra-marital affair with Mira Sorvino.

Sorvino is an actress who became famous after her award-winning performance in Mighty Aphrodite, a 1995 romantic comedy film directed by Woody Allen. Back when she was rumored to have gotten together with Costner, Sorvino was still a relatively unknown, with just a few film credits on her acting resume.

Holly Sampson, an actress and model who also goes by the names Nicolette Foster, Andrea Michaels, and Zoe, claims that she had a brief relationship with Kevin Costner in 1994, the same year that Costner divorced his first wife.

After appearing in episodes of shows like Fred Savage’s The Wonder Years, My Two Dads, Beauty and the Beast, and Matlock, Sampson went on to pursue a career as an adult actress, appearing in titles like Lady Chatterly’s Stories, Thrills, and Bedtime Stories.

Costner was rumored to have had a fling with Naomi Campbell at some point during the mid-1990s. Campbell started her career at the age of 15 and quickly became one of the most recognizable names and faces in the world of modeling.

She has been engaged to Adam Clayton, the bassist for the band U2, as well as Flavio Briatore, a Formula One race car driver. Recently, Campbell has been rumored to be in a relationship with Louis C. Camilleri, a multimillionaire from Malta.

Another one of Kevin Costner’s rumored flings was with Karin Reznack, an actress and screenwriter known for her work on films in the late 1980s such as Her Alibi and Clara’s Heart.

Following her rumored brief relationship with Costner, Reznack would go on to marry famous film director John Byrum in the late ’90s. While no one can confirm whether Costner and Reznack truly did get together, we’re not surprised that such rumors emerged given Costner’s colorful romantic history.

In 2006, Costner found himself in the midst of a scandal after being accused of lewd behavior while receiving a massage at a five-star hotel in 2004. One of Costner’s exes, Birgit Cunningham, chimed in to publicly support him.

She issued a statement, saying, “Kevin is very romantic and tender, he would never do anything so vulgar… He really is Mr. Perfect, squeaky clean, if a little naive when it comes to realizing the effect he has on girls.”

Back in 1995, Kevin Costner was spotted on a dinner date with Angie Everhart, a former actress and model who has appeared in numerous Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues in addition to a 2000 issue of Playboy magazine.

Just before Costner was seen canoodling with the stunning redhead, rumors had emerged regarding his attempts to reconcile with his ex-wife Cindy. Not long after her rumored romance with Costner, Everhart tied the knot with actor, comedian, and singer-songwriter Ashley Hamilton.

In 2001, Kevin Costner shared the big screen with Courteney Cox in the action adventure crime film 3000 Miles to Graceland.

Six years prior to the film’s release, however, Costner was linked to the star most famous for her portrayal of Monica Geller in Friends for a much different reason. According to inside sources, the two briefly dated back in 1995. Interestingly enough, Cox married David Arquette, another actor who appeared in 3000 Miles to Graceland, in 1999.

Apparently, 1995 was a busy year in the love life of Kevin Costner. In August, the Field of Dreams star was believed to have had a romantic encounter with Cheryl Tiegs, the American fashion designer and model considered to be “the first American supermodel.”

That same year, Tiegs launched her “Cheryl Tiegs Sportswear” collection. She will always be best known for her multiple appearances on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, as well as TIME magazine.

In another wild urban legend, Costner was rumored to have nearly ruined Cal Ripken Jr.’s record-breaking consecutive games streak after becoming romantically involved with Cal’s wife while staying at his home.

According to the story, Costner, who has portrayed baseball players in several films and had become close friends with Ripken Jr., was caught red-handed and was roughed up by the Hall-of-Famer on the spot. Ripken was so upset over the incident that the Baltimore Orioles canceled the upcoming game due to an “electrical failure.”

In another 1995 romance, Kevin Costner was spotted on multiple occasions hitting the town with the American journalist, author, and television host Joan Lunden. Lunden was most famous for her role co-hosting ABC’s Good Morning America between 1980 and 1997.

Unfortunately, their relationship was cut short as the result of the relentless and overbearing attention from media sources. At the time, Costner was in the middle of promoting his film Waterworld, so the press was naturally curious about his personal life.

Costner reportedly pulled out all the stops on their first date. “He got this yacht and we sailed around New York Harbor and had dinner,” said Lunden.

“It was quite romantic and quite beautiful. When he first walked on the boat and smiled at me… and said, ‘Boy, I’ve waited so long to meet you,’ I almost fell over.” Sadly, Costner’s charm wasn’t enough. “I think Kevin and I would have dated longer had it not been for the unbelievable press focus on us,” explained Lunden.

By 1996, it seemed as if Costner was ready to leave the single life behind and settle down in a more stable situation. That year, he started dating Australian businesswoman, television host, model, and actress Elle Macpherson.

The two moved quickly in their relationship and began living together within a matter of months. “I feel I have met my equal with this beautiful, talented, funny and lovely person,” said Costner. Unfortunately, their relationship would end before the year mark.

Just after Costner and Elle Macpherson went their separate ways, he was rumored to have been romantically tied to Carla Bruni, an Italian-French singer-songwriter and former model.

As one of the world’s first supermodels, Bruni has also been known to date famous men such as Mick Jagger, and Eric Clapton. While it may have appeared that Costner was ready to settle down in a serious relationship, another short fling would prove that old habits die hard…

In 1997, Kevin Costner was coming off two successful films. He had been nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his performance in 1996’s Tin Cup, and would soon receive another nomination in the form of a Saturn Award for his 1997 film The Postman.

That same year, he met news anchor and former Miss America winner Tawny Little. Their discreet relationship only lasted from 1997-1998. Little had previously dated men such as Ron Silver and Burt Reynolds.

Kevin Costner has certainly seen his fair share of tabloid headlines. One rumor from 1999 claims that Costner had a brief romantic encounter with his co-star, Kelly Preston, while the two were working on the film For the Love of the Game.

According to the National Enquirer, Travolta was “furious” over the allegations. Neither Costner nor Preston, who was married to actor John Travolta at the time, have addressed the rumors. Preston and Travolta remain happily married to this day. But things would soon change for Costner.

Kevin Costner had been on a seemingly endless search for love ever since his divorce in 1994. Then, he crossed paths with Christine Baumgartner, a stunning, much younger model and handbag designer whom he’d met several years prior while practicing on a golf course for his role in Tin Cup.

Costner had no idea what would transpire. “When I met Christine, I wasn’t prepared to be in love again,” says Costner. Only time would tell if the Dances With Wolves actor would change his ways…

Costner himself admitted that his love life was all over the place after his divorce from Cindy. “I was like the classic single guy — who do I love this week, who next week?” said the Dances With Wolves actor.

When he began dating Christine, however, everything changed. Costner, a man who once considered himself a free spirit, had finally learned to love again. Unfortunately, Costner wasn’t quite ready to commit to having kids with Christine, and the couple briefly split up in 2002.

After being thrown back into the single life, Costner realized that breaking up with Christine was a terrible mistake. “Fear kept me from marrying Christine,” says Costner. “[She] wanted a child, but I was afraid I couldn’t be an effective father.”

After dating for four years, “I woke up and thought, ‘Am I going to lose a beautiful woman who is willing to be with me to my very last breath because I am afraid to say yes to a child?’ That’s all it took.”

Costner eventually came to his senses and returned to Christine. The couple tied the knot in September of 2004, saying “I do” in a private ceremony held at Costner’s estate in Aspen, Colorado in front of 300 close friends and family members.

This would be Christine’s first marriage and Costner’s second. His new bride was hopeful that he’d stay faithful, but only time would tell if the Field of Dreams star had truly changed his ways.

Costner and Baumgartner spent the first three years of their marriage enjoying an empty nest, but in May 2007, everything changed with the birth of their first son, Cayden. Suddenly it seemed as if Costner disappeared from the spotlight.

In reality, Costner was still working, but taking more time to focus on his side projects, like touring with his band and investing in a centrifuge machine. Most importantly, Costner took a break from acting in major motion pictures to focus on raising his family.

Following the birth of Cayden in 2007, Costner and Baumgartner were blessed with two more kids- Hayes, born in 2009, and Grace, born in 2010. Costner opened up about life as a father in a 2011 interview.

“…They’re really good children,” explains Costner, “and I see them making steps every day, and the one thing I pray for in life is not success but being able to raise my children and that nothing happens to me in the next 20 years.”

“I want it to be me who tells them about the secrets, the beauty, the treachery and everything that is in life. I don’t want them to learn from someone else,” said Costner in an interview conducted in 2011.

Baumgartner was thrilled to see that her new husband was so committed to his new family. It seemed as if he had truly turned over a new leaf compared to the father he once was with his previous children.

In a 2007 interview with Good Housekeeping, Costner stated that he has “always been really close to my girls,” making it clear, however, that he doesn’t pick favorites. “All of my kids are showered with love,” explained Costner.

Who would have thought that the man who once embraced a wild Hollywood single-guy lifestyle would have such a knack for fatherhood? These days, Costner would much rather brag about his kids’ accomplishments than engage in the shenanigans of his younger years.

After spending some time focusing on family, Costner eventually returned to making movies in 2013, playing Jonathan Kent in Man of Steel.

“I won’t make a movie unless I have the ability to do it the way I want, so I hold my breath for a very long time,” explained Costner. “At this point in my life, I don’t want to make a movie I don’t want to make or one that somehow gets manipulated in a way I don’t feel comfortable with.”

Costner’s first real love was acting, but to him, fatherhood is much more fulfilling. “Movies are magic, and they’ve always been magic to me,” explains Costner.

“You get to play heroes in the movies, but there’s a moment in time where you’re just a father and you get to go home. I have played two roles in my life, one I get paid to do, which is the movies, and the other one is being a father, for which I’ll be rewarded my whole life.”

“Sometimes you learn the thing you’re most afraid of will save your life,” said Costner. Now, the man who was once frightened of commitment is happily married to Christine, a woman nearly 20 years younger than him.

The couple have been married for 18 years, with three very happy kids. Costner now embraces being a loving husband and father. And as for Christine, the blonde bombshell couldn’t be happier to share the rest of her life with the man of her dreams!