Kevin Costner did not cheat on his estranged wife, Christine Baumgartner, despite rumors, a “longtime friend” of the actor told Page Six on May 3. “There was no issue of cheating at all,” he said. “Kevin was very surprised by Christine’s actions, he obviously doesn’t want the divorce and he would take her back. It’s disappointing, he loves her and he loves his children.”
Page Six also claimed the 68-year-old actor was “stunned” by Christine’s divorce filing, while TMZ said he was “blindsided.” HollywoodLife reached out to Kevin’s representative for comment on the two reports but did not immediately hear back. However, a rep told Page Six that rumors of infidelity are “absolutely not true.”
The reports of Kevin’s loyalty and shock caused by the divorce come two days after Christine, 49, filed for divorce after 18 years of marriage, citing “irreconcilable differences.” A rep for the Yellowstone actor shared a statement with HollywoodLife on May 2 regarding the shocking news that read, “It is with great sadness that circumstances beyond his control have transpired which have resulted in Mr. Costner having to participate in a dissolution of marriage action. We ask that his, Christine’s and their children’s privacy be respected as they navigate this difficult time.”
Kevin and Christine tied the knot at a 65-acre ranch outside Aspen, Colo. in Sept. 2004 after meeting while golfing in the 1990s and running into each other again at a restaurant in 1998. “We exchanged numbers, and I told her that I would — did she mind if I called her in two weeks. I did not realize that was like an insult to a woman,” the Dances with Wolves actor told PEOPLE in 2003. They went on to have three children together: sons Cayden, 15, and Hayes, 14, and daughter, Grace, 12. Christine asked for joint custody in her divorce filing, per Page Six.
This is not the first time Kevin has been subject to cheating rumors. His marriage to Cindy Silva, which lasted between 1978 and 1994, ended after intense affair allegations. It was rumored that the actor had cheated on Cindy with a hula dancer on the set of his film, Waterworld. Kevin and the accused dancer denied having a romantic relationship, but the Academy Award winner admitted Cindy was not happy with his work. “Cindy doesn’t like these sexy roles, and she’s given me an ultimatum,” he told his friend, John McInnes, at the time, according to PEOPLE. “I’ve either got to quit doing them or quit the movie business.”
Although Kevin has maintained his innocence, he admitted being faithful in a relationship is not always easy. “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,” he told New York City’s Daily News around the time of his first divorce announcement, per PEOPLE. “I try to conduct my life with a certain amount of dignity and discretion—but marriage is a hard, hard gig.”