Kevin Costner admits he 'feared' difficult divorce from Christine Baumgartner and laments pair 'not being able to go the distance' - as he praises ex months after their acrimonious divorce

Kevin Costner has admitted his worst fear about divorce came true when he split from Christine Baumgartner last year.

The Yellowstone star, 69, who recently spoke out on rumors he's dating Jewel, said he navigated the difficult time by focusing on his seven children - the three youngest of which he shares with Christine, 50.

The Oscar-winner - who was famously embroiled in an acrimonious multimillion dollar divorce battle from Christine - praised his ex as a 'good mother and good partner' but said he felt 'bruised' by the split. The former couple share custody of   Cayden, 17, Hayes, 15, and Grace, 14

Speaking to People, he said: 'It’s really about the children, You just do it. You just keep talking, you keep coaching [the kids], you keep interested in what they’re interested in,

'It was something I had to think about 20 years ago, when I agreed to be married [again]' - said the star who  has three adult kids Annie, 40, Lily, 37, and Joe, 36, with ex-wife Cindy Silva, and son Liam, 26, with former actress Bridget Rooney. 

Kevin Costner has admitted his worst fear about divorce came true when he split from Christine Baumgartner last year - pictured 2022

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'I had been divorced once and that was rough with kids.'

He lamented that he and Christine 'just weren’t able to go the distance' adding: 'That was my fear and so I'm kind of living with that right now. But that's life.

He said at the time he was  so busy with Yellowstone and new movie Horizon - which he invested $38million of his own money into - that there was 'nothing he could do.'

He said: "If you're in a storm and you're the only one up on deck holding the wheel, and you're just trying to get the rain and salt water out of your eyes, you couldn't let go of the wheel. I just haven't been able to let go of the wheel."

'What I can say is I've had an amazing life. I've been bruised, but I've had an amazing life and I'm grateful for that.

The star has finally spoken out on rumors he's been dating the singer Jewel — seven months after the unlikely pair first sparked romance speculation.

The actor — who has been busy promoting his upcoming $100M Western amid fears it will be a box office bomb — opened up on the topic during Tuesday's episode of The Howard Stern Show.

The Yellowstone star, 69, who recently spoke out on rumors he's dating Jewel , said he navigated the difficult time by focusing on his seven children - the three youngest of which he shares with Christine, 50 - pictured 2015

The Oscar-winner - who was famously embroiled in an acrimonious multimillion dollar divorce battle from Christine - praised his ex as a 'good mother and good partner' but said he felt 'bruised' by the split

At one point during the interview, Stern candidly asked the actor if he is currently dating the Foolish Games songstress, 50.

Costner — who finalized his divorce from ex Christine Baumgartner in February — revealed, 'No, Jewel and I are friends. We've never gone out ever.'

'She's special, and I don't want - I don't want these rumors to ruin our friendship because that's what we have. She's special to me. She's beautiful enough to go out with.'

Howard then asked the star, 'How does that s*** start? Kevin, how does that work?' 

'We were down at Branson's Island. She has a foundation, which I didn't know, and she was part of the foundation,' Costner replied, referencing to when the two first fueled romance rumors in November 2023. 

'And Richard Branson had been asking me for years to come down to Necker Island, and so I finally did.' 

He further explained, 'I'm divorced all of a sudden. I'm a single father, and he's asked me for, you know, 10 years to come down there. I said, "Well, I guess I'll go down."' 

The award-winning star recalled that he joined Jewel, Harry Potter alum Emma Watson, as well as seven other guests for the charity event at the British Virgin Island. 

'She was somebody I just had some tremendous conversations with, and along with Emma,' he recalled, stating that he also flew on a plane with the group to and from the island. 

'I was on with nine people and, and I don't want the press to ruin this for us, because I've had conversations with her, text wise, and she's so smart, and she's been through a lot herself, and so we have a friendship,' Costner expressed. 

'We don't have a romance, and we've not dated. She's beautiful and smart enough for all those things.'

Costner has finally spoken out on rumors he's been dating the singer Jewel — seven months after the unlikely pair first sparked romance speculation

'No, Jewel and I are friends. We've never gone out ever,' he told Stern, who had candidly asked the actor if he was dating Jewel

'We were down at Branson's Island. She has a foundation, which I didn't know, and she was part of the foundation,' Costner replied, referencing to when the two first fueled romance rumors in November 2023

Kevin added that, 'It just has never happened for us...She's everything you might think, but it just hasn't happened.'

He then revealed to Stern that his children have also asked about Jewel amid the speculation. 

The star shares Cayden, 17, Hayes, 15, and Grace, 13, with ex-wife Christine Baumgartner. The former couple were married from 2004 until their divorce was finalized earlier this year in February. 

He is also father to Annie, 40, Lily, 36, and Joe, 36 - whom he welcomed with ex-wife, Cindy Silva. He also shares son Liam, 26, with ex Bridget Rooney.  

A few months earlier in April, Jewel gushed that Kevin is a 'great person' while talking to Elle. '[But] the public fascination is intense for sure.'

When the pair were first linked late last year after spending time on the British Virgin Islands, photos also emerged to show the two cozying up together. At one point, the singer could be seen sitting on Kevin's lap. 

A source told TMZ at the time, 'There was definitely something going on. They were flirty, and when they were together, it was like they both just lit up.' 

'You could tell they were trying to be discreet, but anybody who saw them could tell something was going on.' 

And last month in May, she once again addressed Kevin Costner relationship rumors during an interview with People. 

Kevin added that, 'It just has never happened for us...She's everything you might think, but it just hasn't happened'; seen in May in Cannes 

He then revealed to Stern that his children have also asked about Jewel amid the speculation; seen with five of his kids Cayden, Lily, Hayes, Grace and Annie in Cannes in May 

'I found love, and I'm not talking about Kevin's. I'm so happy, irrelevant of a man. It has nothing to do with being in a relationship or not being in one. I'm just happy,' the performer admitted, adding, 'I'm good.' 

Jewel touched on the topic of dating in the spotlight, and referencing to her brief fling with actor, Sean Penn. 

'Even when I was dating Sean really early on, nobody knew I was dating him. I wouldn't do a red carpet with him. I was just very prideful.' 

'I wasn't famous and my album was flopping, like failing spectacularly. I remember going to the Venice Film Festival with him, and I could have done the red carpet and received a lot of media attention.'

She added, 'People would've said, "Who is this girl?" and I could have plugged my album. But I'd rather be unknown the rest of my life than have that be the way the world was introduced to me.'

'I don't need fame that badly. I need to be fulfilled. I need to be happy. I need to be a songwriter. I wasn't thirsty in that way.' 

Jewel eventually married rodeo cowboy, Ty Murray, in 2008 but the two divorced in 2014 and share son, Kase, 12. 

Costner's ex-wife, Christine Baumgartner, has since moved on following their split and is currently dating Josh Connor - whom she was romantically linked to earlier this year.  

A few months earlier in April, Jewel gushed that Kevin is a 'great person' while talking to Elle . '[But] the public fascination is intense for sure'

'I found love, and I'm not talking about Kevin's. I'm so happy, irrelevant of a man. It has nothing to do with being in a relationship or not being in one. I'm just happy,' the performer admitted; seen in December 2023 in NYC 

In May, a source told People that Christine and Josh - who is also divorced and father to three children - are 'very happy with' each other and added Conner gives her 'a lot of attention.' 

'She's happy to spend a lot of time with Josh. He's more of an ideal partner for her,' the insider added. 

Friends of the couple also recently told DailyMail.com that the two have gotten serious and have plans to marry: 'Josh knows he can give her what Kevin didn't, even though he is a high-powered executive with his own demanding career.' 

'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.' 

Another source stated, '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 is preparing for the release of his upcoming, $100M Western titled Horizon: An American Saga - which is set to hit theaters later this month on June 28. 

Alongside Kevin, other stars that were cast in the project include Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Abbey Lee, Luke Wilson and Jena Malone; seen on Tuesday in NYC 

However, the film has been slammed by critics and is projected to flop at the box office upon - despite receiving a 10-minute standing ovation during its premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in May; seen in May in Cannes 

Alongside Kevin, other stars that were cast in the project include Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Ella Hunt, Luke Wilson and Jena Malone. 

The premise of the film - which was also directed by Costner - 'Chronicles a multi-faceted, 15-year span of pre-and post-Civil War expansion and settlement of the American west,' per an IMDB synopsis.   

However, the film has been slammed by critics and is projected to flop at the box office upon - despite receiving a 10-minute standing ovation during its premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in May. 

While Part One is set to hit theaters later this month, the second part will premiere on August 16. Chapter Three and Chapter Four are also slated to release in theaters, although set dates have yet to be announced.