The Spokesperson for Kevin Costner Disputes the Allegations

Kevin Costner, who is typically quiet, has had a busy week. After more than 18 years of marriage, Christine Costner (née Baumgartner), according to the actor’s publicist, filed for divorce on Tuesday. A day later, it was rumored but unverified that the actor’s tenure as the patriarch of the Dutton family on Yellowstone was coming to an end. On Wednesday, it appeared that the internet had taken up the claim that the breakup was the result of on-set adultery.

Their split date was April 11, according to documentation Christine listed, which was acquired by many sources. The Costners attended the 2023 Oscars together and seemed content on the red carpet a month later. On May 1, she formally requested a divorce, claiming irreconcilable differences. Christine was spotted on Wednesday in Santa Barbara, California, conducting errands sans her wedding band.

Kevin was opposed to divorcing his wife

The actor made that clear in his statement, but a source tells People that this wasn’t “anything he wanted or sought, and if he could change the situation, he would.”

Cayden, 15, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 12, are the three children Kevin and Christine have together. The actor was allegedly “stunned” when Christine filed paperwork, according to a different insider who spoke to Page Six.

In a prior interview with Yahoo Entertainment, the actor’s publicist stated “that circumstances beyond” Kevin’s “control” caused the separation.

“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,” his publicist shared in a statement. “We ask that his, Christine’s and their children’s privacy be respected as they navigate this difficult time.”

Did lying or cheating play a role in this?

Nowadays, the internet serves as both a judge and a jury, therefore it is hardly surprising that social media is persuaded of Kevin’s alleged adultery. Untrue rumors have it that Costner had an affair with a Yellowstone employee. Source: “Not true,” according to Yahoo.

In a statement to Yahoo on Thursday, Kevin’s agent put an end to rumors: “Any suggestion of infidelity on the part of Mr. Costner is absolutely not true.”

Why many jumped to that conclusion so quickly is unclear, but it could have something to do with Kevin’s previous marriage to Cindy Costner. His marriage to his childhood love allegedly fell apart in 1994 as a result of on-set affairs. According to Forbes, the anticipated divorce payment of $80 million is one of the most expensive in the annals of Hollywood.

Is this the reason Yellowstone is stalling?

Nope. According to production insiders, Kevin’s divorce has nothing to do with the fact that Season 5’s second half hasn’t yet been recorded.

“Honestly, a lot of us were surprised when the [divorce] news broke,” says one insider, adding there was no indication the former couple were on the rocks.

Since Kevin is filming the second installment of his passion project Horizon: An American Saga, the situation is strictly business-related. Although it’s unclear when filming on Yellowstone will resume and how much he’ll be involved in the plot, a source for Yahoo claims that it’s “highly likely” that this will be Kevin’s final season.