Christine Baumgartner’s Journey to New Love After Costner Divorce

In the aftermath of her highly publicized divorce from Hollywood icon Kevin Costner in 2023, Christine Baumgartner embarked on a new chapter that would eventually lead to lasting happiness. The former model’s path from a contentious divorce to finding love again with financier Josh Connor represents a story of personal resilience and second chances. Their relationship, which began amid controversy and speculation, evolved from friendship to romance, culminating in marriage and offering Baumgartner a fresh start after nearly two decades with Costner. The timeline of their connection reveals how relationships can blossom even during life’s most challenging transitions, and how public scrutiny can complicate the already difficult process of moving forward after a significant relationship ends.

The seeds of Baumgartner and Connor’s relationship were planted in July 2023, just months after she filed for divorce from Costner that May. When photographs surfaced of Baumgartner and Connor vacationing together in Hawaii, speculation immediately swirled about the nature of their relationship. The timing raised eyebrows, particularly as Baumgartner was in the midst of divorce proceedings. During court testimonies in August 2023, she maintained that she and Connor were merely friends, despite their Hawaiian getaway. She did acknowledge receiving $20,000 from Connor, explaining that she had loaned half to her mother before returning the remainder. The situation grew more complex when Costner’s legal team implied questions about fidelity during their 18-year marriage, noting in court documents that while Costner had engaged in no “extramarital romantic relationships,” he was uncertain whether Baumgartner had done the same or potentially used his financial resources in connection with any such relationships. These circumstances created a cloud of uncertainty around the nature and timing of Baumgartner’s connection with Connor.

The transition from friendship to romance between Baumgartner and Connor became public in January 2024, when multiple reports confirmed they had begun dating. The Daily Mail published photographs of Baumgartner dropping Connor off at his California home, seemingly confirming their relationship had evolved beyond friendship. An insider revealed to Us Weekly that Costner had harbored “strong suspicions” about their bond even before it became public, describing their close relationship as “a real elephant in the room” during the divorce proceedings. However, sources close to Baumgartner insisted that the romantic aspect of their relationship developed “relatively recently,” and emphasized that Connor had served as her emotional support system—her “rock”—throughout the difficult divorce process. This period of their relationship highlights how connections can deepen during times of personal crisis, as Connor provided stability while Baumgartner navigated the end of her marriage to Costner, with whom she shares three children: Cayden, Hayes, and Grace.

After a year of dating, Baumgartner and Connor’s relationship reached a significant milestone in January 2025 when they became engaged during a romantic evening in Santa Barbara, California. People magazine reported the engagement, which came approximately one year after their relationship had turned romantic and just under two years after Baumgartner’s initial filing for divorce from Costner. The engagement represented not just a commitment between two people but also symbolized Baumgartner’s complete transition to her post-Costner life. For many who experience divorce after long marriages, finding love again often comes with complex emotions—hope mixed with caution, excitement tempered by past experiences. Baumgartner’s journey from the end of her marriage with Costner to acceptance of a new future with Connor demonstrates the human capacity for emotional resilience and the heart’s ability to heal and open itself to new possibilities, even after painful endings.

The culmination of Baumgartner and Connor’s relationship came in October 2025, when they exchanged vows at the picturesque Santa Ynez Ranch in Santa Barbara, California. Their outdoor ceremony, revealed by People magazine, took place nearly nine months after their engagement and approximately two years after they were first linked publicly. The wedding location in Santa Barbara held significance, as it was the same area where their engagement had taken place, establishing it as a meaningful setting for their relationship milestones. While details about the ceremony itself remain private, the wedding marked the official beginning of their married life together and the completion of Baumgartner’s transition from her marriage to Costner to her new life with Connor. The wedding came after Baumgartner’s divorce from Costner was finalized in February 2024, allowing her adequate time to process the end of her previous marriage before legally committing to a new one.

Christine Baumgartner’s story illustrates the complicated nature of love, loss, and new beginnings that many experience after the end of a long-term relationship. From contentious divorce proceedings with Costner, where financial disputes and questions of fidelity created headlines, to finding a supportive partnership with Connor that evolved into love, Baumgartner navigated the challenges of rebuilding her life in the public eye. Her journey reminds us that relationships rarely follow straightforward paths, particularly when they begin during times of transition. The progression from Hawaii vacation companions in July 2023 to husband and wife by October 2025 represents not just a timeline of a relationship but the human capacity for emotional growth and renewal. For Baumgartner, Connor represented not just a new love but a partner who supported her through one of life’s most challenging transitions, ultimately creating a foundation strong enough to build a future upon. Their story, while highlighted in celebrity news outlets and court documents, reflects the universal human experience of finding unexpected happiness after heartbreak.