It’s less than a year since she blindsided Kevin Costner by filing for divorce but DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal that Christine Baumgartner is already preparing to tie the knot for a second time.
The lucky man is Josh Connor, 49, a divorced father-of-three who she has been dating since at least January, although Costner claimed in a court hearing last September that sparks flew long before their own split.
Friends of the lovebirds told DailyMail.com their relationship has become increasingly serious since they were first pictured together by DailyMail.com in January, with the besotted financier telling associates of their marriage plans.
One source said: ‘Josh knows he can give her what Kevin didn’t, even though he is a high-powered executive with his own demanding career.’
Christine Baumgartner (right) is already preparing to tie the knot with new flame Josh Connor (left) – less than a year after divorce with ex Kevin Costner, DailyMail.com can reveal
Exclusive DailyMail.com photos show Connor and a casually-dressed Christine arriving separately at the swanky Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club with their daughters Grace and Abigail, both 13, for an early dinner
‘He also know how important her children are to her – as his are to him. Trying to blend two families isn’t easy but she’s worth it.’
DailyMail.com can reveal that the process has already begun, with Christine, 49, taking her three children with the Yellowstone actor to dinner with Connor in Montecito over Memorial Day weekend.
Exclusive DailyMail.com photos show Connor and a casually-dressed Christine arriving separately at the swank Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club with their daughters Grace and Abigail, both 13, for an early dinner.
Later, the duo were joined by her sons Cayden, 17, and Hayes, 15, but Connor’s eldest children Lily, 20, and John, 18, did not attend.
While Connor, Christine and Abigail stayed at the $2,500-a-month private members’ club until late, her sons arrived and left in their father’s black Ford F-150 truck within 10 minutes and took bags of takeout food with them instead of dining with their mother and her soon-to-be new husband.
Meanwhile, Grace was picked up in a black Range Rover SUV – also clutching a bag of takeout food – less than an hour after being driven to the club by Christine.
The three children were last seen just over a week ago on the red carpet in Cannes with their father and older half-sisters Annie, 40, and Lily, 37, at the premiere of his new movie Horizon: An American Saga .
All seven were seen posing together on the red carpet with Costner beaming along with six of his seven children, all of whom looked thrilled to be there.
The movie received a rapturous reception and seven minute standing ovation, with a clearly-moved Costner seen crying in response to the warm response.
On May 19 Costner, 69, got teary-eyed during a 10-minute standing ovation following the premiere screening of his new epic Western, multi-part film, Horizon: An American Saga
Kevin Costner’s ex wife Christine Baumgartner and boyfriend Josh Connor head to dinner at Coral Casino private club in Montecito. Josh was with his daughter and Christine also arrived with daughter but left earlier
Friends of the lovebirds told DailyMail.com their relationship has become increasingly serious since they were first pictured together by DailyMail.com in January, with the besotted financier telling associates of their marriage plans
While Connor, Christine and Abigail stayed at the $2,500-a-month private members’ club until late, her sons arrived and left in their father’s black Ford F-150 truck within 10 minutes with bags of takeout food with them
An insider told DailyMail.com: ‘Christine herself said Josh is the man she wants to spend the rest of her life with. It’s not like Christine is at home wishing she was in the glitz and glamour of Cannes; she would much rather be walking on the beach barefoot with Josh.
‘But she said she is happy for Kevin. Horizon has been his everything for so long, and she’s glad all the kids could be there to support him.’
Costner, 68, has previously spoken of his pride in his children, telling People magazine in 2022: ‘You’ve got to get down on the ground and play with them. And you teach them to become independent.
‘The sad part about that is they become that. I’m like any other parent: I’m trying to figure it out.’
Sources told DailyMail.com that Horizon – a Costner passion project that he largely funded himself – is in part to blame for the end of the marriage, with Christine complaining to friends that the actor devoted so much time to the project, she was left lonely.
They kids were Annie, 40, Lily, 37, Cayden, 17, Hayes, 15, and Grace, 13 – whom he posed with on the red carpet at Cannes Film Festival on May 19
The insider said: ‘Christine said Kevin’s obsession with Horizon took precedence over their marriage and that’s what caused the rift between them.
‘It was all about what he wanted, and every conversation led back to his pet project. She said she always supported his dreams, but it was a one-way street.
‘It was a lonely marriage, and he was well aware that she wasn’t happy, but at the same time he wasn’t willing to do anything about it.’ Costner spent much of last year filming the movie in Utah and Arizona and has been shuttling back and forth between his mansion in Carpinteria, California, and Montana to shoot Yellowstone for years.
Nonetheless, he was blindsided when Christine filed for divorce last May – a split that rapidly turned nasty and saw the pair exchange barbed legal filings as they battled it out over whether she could get her pre-nuptial agreement overturned and how much child support she would get.
The 49-year-old initially wanted a whopping $128,000-a-month but was forced to settle for $60,000 following a week-long hearing that saw a Santa Barbara judge side with Costner.
The former couple also fought over Costner’s Carpinteria mega-mansion, with Christine refusing to move out for weeks before eventually being forced to go by his lawyers.
Kevin Costner ‘s ex-wife Christine Baumgartner enjoyed her first PDA in May with new man Josh Connor days after her former husband said he ‘took a beating’ from Yellowstone bosses amid their ugly divorce
Christine Baumgartner and her new boyfriend Josh Connor were spotted out together after lunch and some shopping in Calabasas in April
Connor, himself a divorced father of three, became legally single on January 3, 2023
Earlier this year, both Christine and ex Kevin Costner settled their divorce after she filed last year in May; seen in 2019 in L.A.
Now living in a rented property in Montecito, the court heard how she had borrowed $20,000 from Connor – money that she claimed she had paid back – while Costner accused the pair of dating, which Christine denied while giving evidence.
Costner and Christine eventually settled their divorce in October, avoiding a lengthy December trial over the pre-nuptial agreement she had signed.
Despite the upheaval and embarrassing publicity, Christine has told friends that she is happier with Connor than she ever was with Costner.
An insider told DailyMail.com, ‘Christine said she’s never been happier, especially now that she and Josh have decided to go public with their relationship.
‘Her friends said they wouldn’t be surprised if they got married within the next year, something intimate and simple.’
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