Kevin Costner won big at the 2023 Golden Globes.
The Yellowstone star took home the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, thanks to his stellar portrayal of John Dutton in the neo-Western show. His big win was a long time coming, and fans of his work on Yellowstone were thrilled to see Costner finally take home a big win.
Costner was unfortunately unable to officially receive his award, due to dangerous flooding in Southern California. He shared his heartfelt thanks with fans, the Globes, and the Hollywood Foreign Press in a post to Instagram, in which he shared the honor with his “castmates, the producers, and our incredible crew.”
Ahead of his absence, Costner put out a video explaining the reasoning for his absence. He apologized profusely for missing the ceremony, explaining that Santa Barbara’s “freeways flooded out,” and prevented himself and his wife from making it. He even explained that his wife, Christine Baumgartner, purchased a lovely gown for the event, and noted that he was looking forward to “walking down the red carpet with her.”
This rare mention of Costner’s wife sparked curiosity among the 67-year-old’s fanbase. Unlike many of the spouses of famous celebs, Baumgartner largely keeps out of the spotlight. She’s got plenty of laurels of her own to lean on, but few people are well informed about Costner’s better half.
Who is Christine Baumgartner?
Like far too many famous couples, there’s a solid age gap between Costner and Baumgartner. The pair have nearly 20 years separating them, but this doesn’t seem to negatively affect their relationship. In fact, it seems that the pair’s differences only make their marriage stronger.
Costner was married once before he met his current wife, and had four children—in total—from previous relationships. He met Baumgartner back in the late 90s, while he was still married to his first wife (Cindy Silva), but the pair didn’t start dating until the early 2000s. It was then that they truly discovered their compatibility, despite the years between them, and they married a few years later, in 2004.
Baumgartner and Costner share three children between them, and the 48-year-old designer is step-mother to Costner’s previous four children. They nearly split up over Baumgartner’s desire for children, according to People, but Costner quickly realized that he couldn’t lose her “because I’m afraid.”
On top of thriving as mother to Cayden, Hayes, and Grace, Baumgartner is also a handbag designer. She shared her designs with Costner, early in their relationship, and his enthusiasm led the pair to develop a line: Cat Bag Couture. She now sells her designer bags near the couple’s Aspen home.
The couple seem to be living the perfect married life. During quarantine, their bond only grew stronger, as Baumgartner worked to maintain their children’s education from home—due in large part to Costner being “computer illiterate”—and the family found an even deeper connection.
