Kevin Costner Had Once Rejected Son Liam Until a Paternity Test Proved He Was the Father | He Has 7 Children With 3 Partners
Fatherhood is an important part of many a man’s life. Whether they are a celebrity or not, this is a role many men cherish. Actor Kevin Costner, who has had an illustrious career for more than three decades, prizes his role as a father most highly. However, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t made mistakes along the way. The Bodyguard actor has been married twice and is a dad to seven kids.
The 65-year-old Yellowstone actor met ex-wife Cindy Costner (née Silva) when they were college students at California State University at Fullerton. They met in the early 1970s when Cindy also harbored the dream of becoming an actress. She started by playing a princess at Disneyland during her summer breaks, according to Closer Weekly. “She was beautiful, she was sweet, she was smarter than me,” Costner told People Magazine in 1989. “She represented everything about women that I like,” he added.
The Waterworld actor graduated in 1978 and they tied the knot the same year. During the first years of their marriage, he was focussed on his career but they still managed to have three children, Annie, 36, Lily, 33, and Joe, 32, during their 16 years together
His work schedule was hectic when he became known as a critically acclaimed actor in Hollywood. Between hits like 1988’s Bull Durham, 1989’s Field of Dreams, 1992’s The Bodyguard, and 1993’s A Perfect World, his wife and he started losing touch. They announced in 1994 that they were separating.
“After 16 years together, we are ending our marriage,” Costner and Cindy announced in a statement at the time, People reported. “We have amicably resolved all issues regarding our children and financial affairs and a full marital settlement has been reached,” said they. It is believed that Cindy received $80 million from him.
After his divorce, Costner started dating socialite Bridget Rooney and even though they dated shortly, she got pregnant with his child, according to Country Living. Rooney, a Pittsburgh Steelers heiress, gave birth to a baby boy in 1996, who was Costner’s fourth child. However, the actor initially denied that the child was his and insisted on a paternity test instead. He acknowledged Liam, now 24, as his child only after the paternity test confirmed it.
Once it was confirmed, he did everything possible to secure his child’s future. The actor set up a trust fund for his son and saw the boy “occasionally but not on a regular basis,” a source told People. Rooney got married in 2005 to billionaire William Koch, brother to David and Charles Koch.
He was single for a long time after that and was content being a doting father until then. He stayed in Aspen doing what he wanted to since he was also taking a break from work. “I can take a look around, dream, and feel really at peace,” he had said, according to People Magazine. He had been surrounded by rumors that he was dating Halle Berry while married to Cindy.
“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. I try to conduct my life with a certain amount of dignity and discretion—but marriage is a hard, hard gig,” he was quoted as saying by Trivia.com.
Costner found love again with Christine Baumgartner, who he married in 2004. He almost didn’t take his relationship with Baumgartner further because she wanted children and he didn’t. They had started dating in 2000 and briefly broke up in 2002, as per Country Living. “She said, ‘I’m going to wait for you, but not long. When you come to your senses, come back to me,’” he told Parade in 2012. “And I did.”
After they reconciled, the Golden Globe recipient and Baumgartner got engaged in 2003. They married on his palatial ranch in Aspen. Since then, they have welcomed three kids, Cayden, Hayes, and Grace. To make this marriage work, he has had a lot of learning to do. “Maybe it’s the ability to say you’re sorry,” he said, adding, “I know that sounds so simple.”
