Those closest to Kevin Costner fear that the star might be headed for a breakdown as he continues to push himself to the limit.
As we’ve previously reported, it’s been a difficult year for the Hollywood legend.
In addition to his messy divorce from Christine Baumgartner, Costner is in the midst of some major career upheaval.
Costner stepped away from his hit series Yellowstone in order to focus on writing, directing and starring in a multi-part Western epic.
The first installment of Horizon: An American Saga hits theaters next month. And for Costner, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
The ambitious star sold his home in Santa Barbara in order to partially self-finance the project. That means, of course, that he really needs a hit.
Kevin Costner: Headed For Breakdown Amid Divorce, ‘Horizon’ Drama?
Now, a source close to the star tells Life & Style that all that stress has taken a significant toll.
“You could see how ‘shell-shocked’ Kevin has been after the last year and a half where he got divorced, fought publicly with the Yellowstone bosses and had to make these two Horizon movies with his own money before he could convince anybody to release them,” says the insider, who recently spent time with Costner at CinemaCon.
“The whole ordeal aged him. And you see that in his body language, his spaced-out, glassy stare, and the slow, raspy way he speaks.”
Costner’s very public divorce and the news that his ex-wife is dating his friend Josh Connor couldn’t have been easy.
But according to the insider, it’s the career stress that’s really gotten to the Oscar-winning filmmaker.
Kevin Costner Has a Lot Riding on the Success of ‘Horizon’
“There’s such a thing as giving too much of yourself to a movie project. And that’s what’s happened to Kevin here,” the source adds.
“Friends worry about Kevin because of the wars he’s been through in the last year and a half: his marriage ending, his fight with the Yellowstone bosses, and the monumental battle to get Horizon: An American Saga made,” says the insider.
According to the insider, Costner has a gift for handling tremendous amounts of stress. But he might have finally bitten off more than he can chew.
“Everybody has their limits, even somebody as self-reliant as Kevin. And you can see how hard he’s pushed himself when you spend a little time with him in person,” says the source.
“His plans for this summer are extremely ambitious, but does he really have the energy to execute them? That’s an open question right now.”
Fortunately, the 69-year-old has plenty of support to help him navigate this challenging period in his life.
Costner’s relationship with Jewel is reportedly getting quite serious, and he remains a beloved figure in the industry.
And if his Horizon gamble pays off, Costner could find himself more in demand than ever!
Specifically, there’s his two-part cinematic event, Horizon: An American Saga, which is set to debut in theaters this summer.
This is the biggest — and riskiest — project of Costner’s career. And it’ll premiere to critics and industry insiders at Cannes in less than three weeks.
These days, Costner would probably prefer to focus his energy on promoting his frontier saga.
But many media outlets are more interested in his messy split from Christine Baumgartner.
Costner and Baumgartner finalized their divorce last year following a legal battle that frequently made tabloid headlines.
There were reports that Baumgartner had requested $248,000 a month in child support.
And that led to speculation that this might turn into the most expensive divorce in Hollywood history.
There were even rumors that Costner’s decision to quit Yellowstone was prompted by his unwillingness to fork his earnings.
(It now appears that Costner left the show so that he could focus on directing and starring in Horizon.)
For a while, it looked like the dust was beginning to settle. But then we learned that Baumgartner was dating Costner’s former friend Josh Connor.
Kevin Costner: Furious About Ex’s New Relationship?
One insider says that Costner is furious about the manner in which Connor and Baumgartner have been flaunting their relationship.
“Kevin is very bitter and far from happy to see Christine and Josh so obviously happy and planning their lives together,” the insider tells The National Enquirer (via Radar Online).
“It pains him more than anything to know they’re living high on the hog on his dime — and every time one of those big monthly support checks goes out, it makes him sick to his stomach,” the source adds.
“Christine and Josh are rubbing salt in the wound by bragging about their beautiful love story. Kevin’s heard they might even get engaged — and to say it infuriates him is an understatement.”
Costner’s New Relationship
Costner has also moved on and is currently dating singer Jewel.
The difference, the source claims, is that Costner and Jewel are keeping their romance private out of respect for others.
“He’d love to be parading around with Jewel on his arm, but she’s taking things slowly and spooked by the intense level of interest surrounding their relationship,” says the insider.
Well, Costner will be more visible than ever this summer as he promotes the Western epic that he partially financed by selling his home in Santa Barbara.
It was a risky move. But at least now he doesn’t have to worry about losing another asset in his divorce.