HOLLYWOOD REDEMPTION: Costner Pivots to Piety After $K Per Month Child Support Order
Fresh off one of the nastiest celebrity divorces in recent memory—which saw him ordered to pay his ex-wife Christine Baumgartner over $, a month in child support—Hollywood icon Kevin Costner is attempting a massive PR pivot straight toward faith. The -year-old actor is now pushing a holiday special about the spiritual origins of Christmas, seemingly desperate to reclaim his image amid the financial and emotional carnage of his split.
Costner, who is currently navigating life as a “bachelor” following the finalization of his divorce in February , is now ready to preach. Speaking exclusively to Us Weekly, the Yellowstone star extended a broad invitation to his upcoming ABC special, Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas.
He isn’t just seeking believers; he’s aggressively targeting the skeptics. “Whether you’re a believer, or whether you’re a cynic, or whether you’re just curious about the real story behind the traditions of Christmas, I just invite people to journey back with me,” Costner declared. This direct call-out to “cynics” feels uncomfortably personal, given the intense public speculation surrounding his highly publicized martial breakdown.
The Storytelling Spin: Costner’s Attempt to ‘Heal’ His Image
The special, which aired just days ago and is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+, features Costner as the sole narrator, recounting the religious origins behind the holiday. He’s trying to frame his newfound role as a deep, spiritual calling.
“They say Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. A chance for families to gather together and celebrate the amazing story of a newborn king,” Costner intones in the special. The emphasis on “families” and “celebration” is an undeniably awkward echo of his own fractured home life after nearly years of marriage to Baumgartner ended in bitter litigation.
During his interview, Costner doubled down on the healing power of narratives, suggesting this special is more than just a history lesson—it’s a form of therapy. “I think storytelling can be healing. It can be informative. It can remind us of who we think we’d like to be,” he reflected. Is Costner trying to inform and heal the audience, or is he attempting to remind the world, and perhaps himself, of the “great heroism” he claims to portray on screen?
Bachelor Life: The Struggle to Make Christmas “Warm”
The star, who is a father to seven children across three different relationships—including Cayden, , Hayes, , and Grace, , with Baumgartner—admitted that the holiday season is now a lot more work without a wife to manage the domestic details.
The split has forced him to adapt to his children’s growing independence, which means the traditional structure he once knew is gone. “I think when they were younger, there were things that were more repetitive. Now you’re just fighting to get them home from college or fight,” he confessed.
Costner clearly misses the domestic comforts that Baumgartner provided. “I’m a bachelor, so I kind of miss those, like, really cute things to do,” he admitted, painting himself as the lonely star struggling to fill the void. “So I have to work especially hard to make sure there’s that stuff that they think about and remember.” The holidays are now a “fight” to maintain warmth after a year of brutal legal drama.
Divorce Damage Control: The Aftermath of the Split
Costner’s public push into faith and family storytelling can’t be separated from the toxic environment of his divorce. Baumgartner, , filed for divorce in May , initiating a four-month legal slugfest over assets, prenuptial agreements, and child support.
The result was a devastating financial hit for Costner, who was ordered to pay a colossal sum of more than $, a month for his three youngest children. This massive court order, combined with the public airing of their marital dirty laundry, left Costner’s image battered and his financial status significantly altered.
This special is arriving at a critical time, presenting a soft, spiritual side of the actor that directly contrasts with the aggressive legal fighter seen in court documents. Is this a genuine expression of renewed faith, or simply a well-timed maneuver to generate positive press and remind the public that he is, at his core, a father and a storyteller?
The Real Story: Who Are the Cynics He’s Targeting?
The most intriguing part of Costner’s plea is his direct challenge to the “cynics.” Is he referring to the general public who mocked his divorce? The press who reported the messy child support details? Or, perhaps, is he targeting those within his own private circle—those who may have witnessed the collapse of his marriage firsthand?
With three ex-partners and seven children spanning generations, the actor has a complicated family landscape. His appeal to “journey back with me” suggests a deeply personal mission to recenter himself and his narrative around enduring spiritual values. But after a year defined by tabloid chaos, the question remains: Can a highly produced Christmas special truly erase the bitter residue of a very public, very expensive divorce?
Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas is now streaming, but the story the public is really interested in—Costner’s next chapter—is just beginning.
