Kevin Costner’s private life is suddenly attracting almost as much attention as his movies.
After his nearly two-decade marriage to Christine Baumgartner ended in a highly publicized divorce, the Yellowstone star was linked in 2025 to filmmaker Kelly Noonan Gores, a blonde 24 years his junior. Photographs of Costner and Gores together quickly prompted online comparisons between Gores and his former wife, with some fans commenting on their similar blonde hair and polished appearance. (Us)
But there’s an important update to the viral story: Gores is no longer the only woman being linked to Costner.
In September 2026, the now-71-year-old actor was photographed with another woman, 40-year-old Jennifer Milburn, during an ordinary grocery run in Santa Barbara — sparking a fresh round of romance speculation. And another new report published September 18 claims Costner has actually been quietly seeing Arizona influencer McKenna Wesley for about a year. None of these latest relationships has been publicly confirmed by Costner himself. (Page Six)
So the story behind those “rare pictures” is considerably more complicated than it first appears.
The Woman Who First Had Everyone Talking Was Kelly Noonan Gores
In August 2025, multiple sources told Us Weekly that Costner was spending time with filmmaker and author Kelly Noonan Gores.
Costner was 70.
Gores was 46.
According to the outlet’s sources, mutual friends had connected them and the relationship was casual rather than serious. The two reportedly spent time together in Colorado, where both had connections to Aspen. (Us)
Then came photographs.
The pair were seen together in Aspen, and later images showed Costner and Gores walking side by side through the snowy resort town.
Suddenly, the quiet relationship wasn’t so private anymore.
And some people immediately noticed something else.
People Thought Kelly Looked Strikingly Similar to Christine
Side-by-side photographs inspired comparisons between Gores and Costner’s former wife, Christine Baumgartner.
Both women are blonde, slim and considerably younger than Costner, and certain photographs emphasized enough superficial similarities that the resemblance became its own celebrity-news story. (Pro TV)
Of course, whether two people “look the same” is subjective.
They are different women with different careers and lives, and photographs selected from similar angles can exaggerate a perceived resemblance.
But visually, the comparison caught on.
And the age difference attracted just as much attention.
Gores is roughly 24 years younger than Costner.
Baumgartner is about 19 years younger than him.
Kevin and Kelly Were Eventually Photographed Together
For months, much of the reporting relied on unnamed sources.
Then the two were spotted publicly.
Photographs from Aspen showed Costner and Gores walking together, offering the rare images that fueled the viral “new love” narrative.
Reports characterized their relationship as relatively low-key. Sources told Us Weekly that they had mutual friends and saw one another when their schedules allowed. (Us)
Neither appeared interested in turning the relationship into a red-carpet spectacle.
There were no elaborate couple announcements.
No engagement talk.
No major joint interview.
Instead, their reported relationship existed largely outside the promotional machinery of Hollywood.
Kelly Had Her Own Life Long Before Kevin
Gores wasn’t simply a mysterious blonde accompanying a famous actor.
She has worked as an actress, producer and director and is known for the 2017 documentary Heal, which she wrote, directed and produced.
She was also previously married to billionaire Alec Gores.
So although the enormous attention surrounding Costner inevitably placed her in celebrity headlines, she had an established career and family life of her own.
Reports about Costner and Gores described their relationship as “casual,” with one source saying in 2025 that it wasn’t serious at that stage. (Us)
That wording now seems especially relevant.
Because by September 2026, another blonde woman was walking beside Costner.
Then Jennifer Milburn Entered the Picture
On September 15, Page Six reported that Costner had been spotted with Jennifer Milburn, a 40-year-old lifestyle coach.
The two weren’t photographed leaving a glamorous restaurant.
They weren’t on a red carpet.
They were buying groceries.
According to reports about the sighting, Costner and Milburn shopped together at an Albertsons in Santa Barbara, California. Witnesses characterized their interactions as affectionate. (Page Six)
Milburn wore denim shorts, a white button-down shirt and sandals.
Costner appeared similarly casual in white pants, a white polo and flip-flops.
Afterward, Milburn reportedly got into Costner’s Mercedes.
That was enough to start an entirely new round of speculation.
Jennifer Is 31 Years Younger Than Costner
The age difference immediately became part of the headlines.
Costner is 71.
Milburn is 40.
That puts approximately 31 years between them. (Us)
According to reports, Milburn is originally from Aspen and has worked in several different fields. Her background reportedly includes modeling and work as a flight attendant, and she has been identified as director of partnerships at Simon Sinek’s The Optimism Company. (Page Six)
She has also reportedly worked for Kemo Sabe, the luxury Western-wear company associated with Aspen.
But despite the grocery photographs and witness descriptions, there is still an important distinction:
Neither Costner nor Milburn has publicly confirmed that they are a couple.
At this stage, “rumored romance” remains the accurate description.
And Then Another Woman’s Name Suddenly Surfaced
Just when the situation appeared straightforward, Page Six published another report on September 18.
This time, the woman was McKenna Wesley, a 39-year-old Arizona-based lifestyle influencer.
Sources claimed Costner and Wesley have actually been seeing each other for roughly a year and that their relationship began after they met in Scottsdale. (Page Six)
According to that report, the pair share an interest in golf and were first publicly seen together in October 2025 at a Field of Dreams screening in Scottsdale.
Wesley has reportedly also spent time at Costner’s properties in Santa Barbara and Aspen.
She declined to comment when approached, while Costner’s representatives did not provide confirmation of the reported relationship. (Page Six)
So within days, celebrity coverage had connected Costner with two different women.
That makes any definitive declaration that he has one confirmed “new girlfriend” premature.
Meanwhile, Christine Has Moved On Too
Costner’s former wife has undergone an enormous change in her personal life as well.
Christine Baumgartner filed for divorce in May 2023 after 18 years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences.
The separation became contentious, particularly over child support, their family home and the terms of their prenuptial agreement.
Eventually, however, they reached a settlement.
Their marriage was officially terminated on February 16, 2024. (People.com)
They retained joint custody of the three children they share: sons Cayden and Hayes and daughter Grace.
Their Marriage Lasted Nearly Two Decades
Costner and Baumgartner’s story began long before Yellowstone.
They first crossed paths in the 1990s and later began dating.
The couple married in September 2004 at Costner’s Colorado ranch. (Business Insider)
Their relationship wasn’t always straightforward.
Before the wedding, the pair briefly separated amid differing views about having children. They eventually reconciled, married and welcomed three children together.
For years, Baumgartner was the woman most frequently seen beside Costner at premieres, awards ceremonies and major Hollywood events.
That’s another reason comparisons with his rumored post-divorce partners attract so much attention.
For almost 20 years, audiences had grown accustomed to seeing the same person beside him.
The Divorce Became Very Public
When Baumgartner filed in 2023, the private details of their marriage suddenly entered court proceedings and entertainment headlines.
The former couple disputed child-support figures, housing arrangements and provisions of their prenuptial agreement.
A judge eventually set Costner’s monthly child-support payment at $63,209 during the proceedings, substantially below the amount Baumgartner had sought. (People.com)
By September 2023, however, the two had reached a settlement.
The divorce became final the following February.
After nearly two decades together, they were officially single again.
Costner Was Then Linked to Jewel
Even before the Kelly Gores reports, Costner’s post-divorce love life was attracting attention.
Photographs of Costner and singer Jewel together on Richard Branson’s Necker Island in late 2023 sparked speculation that the two were dating.
Both eventually pushed back on the assumption.
Jewel described Costner warmly but avoided confirming any romance, while Costner later said they were friends and denied that they had been dating.
It became an early example of something that has followed Costner since his divorce:
Being photographed beside a woman is often enough to generate a relationship headline.
Jennifer Lopez Was Pulled Into the Rumor Mill Too
By late 2024 and early 2025, Jennifer Lopez’s name had also appeared in speculation surrounding Costner.
Neither publicly established a romantic relationship.
Yet the rumors illustrated just how closely Costner’s personal life was being watched after his divorce.
Then came Gores — a connection supported by reports that they were actually spending time together.
And now Milburn and Wesley have entered the story.
The result is a romantic timeline that looks much less certain than individual headlines might suggest.
There’s One Thing the Viral Graphic Gets Right — and One It Oversimplifies
The graphic’s central premise comes from genuine reporting.
Costner was linked to a significantly younger blonde woman following his divorce, and Kelly Noonan Gores was photographed with him.
Some viewers genuinely commented on a resemblance between Gores and Baumgartner.
But “looks the same” is an opinion rather than a fact.
And describing Gores simply as Costner’s current “new love” is now outdated.
Recent reporting indicates that whatever their relationship was, Costner has since been seen with other women — and his current relationship status has not been publicly confirmed by him. (Page Six)
At 71, Costner Is Keeping Everyone Guessing
Perhaps that is the most accurate description of Costner’s romantic life right now.
The public has photographs.
There are reports from unnamed sources.
There have been outings in Aspen and Santa Barbara.
But Costner himself hasn’t publicly announced a new long-term partner.
Kelly Noonan Gores was reported as a casual romantic interest in 2025. (Us)
Jennifer Milburn was photographed with him in Santa Barbara in September 2026, prompting new dating speculation. (Us)
And McKenna Wesley is now the subject of a separate report claiming a much longer, private relationship. (Page Six)
The resemblance between any of these women and Christine Baumgartner may keep social media debating whether Costner has a “type.”
But the more intriguing question is much simpler:
After three different women have been linked to him in little more than a year, Kevin Costner still hasn’t publicly told anyone who — if anyone — he considers his new partner.
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