Kevin Costner Allegedly Confronted Tenant Who Became Close Friends With His Wife

Kevin Costner’s divorce has been getting messier with each new report, and now it’s alleged that the actor confronted a tenant who became close friends with his estranged wife. According to The Sun, tech entrepreneur Daniel Starr had been a renter on Costner’s California estate during 2022 and 2023. During his time, he allegedly grew close to Christine Baumgartner, 49, Costner’s wife of nearly 20 years, while the actor was away filming.

The outlet adds that, according to sources, Costner, 68, was upset about the alleged friendship, and confronted Starr. “Daniel was really happy living in the house. It’s right on the beach and he has a four-year-old son who he wanted to feel settled,” the insider stated. “After he moved in he became close friends with Chris and Kevin. They’d hang out together with their kids. But Kevin was always away filming, so Chris must have been lonely.”

Further elaborating on the issue, the source said, “Chris and Daniel hung out a lot. She would come into his house almost daily. But there was a fallout and Kevin got wind of it. There was a row between him and Daniel and things escalated from there.”

The source stated that Starr is a “respectful guy” and did not do anything that would be considered crossing a line. “Chris didn’t like Daniel’s attitude towards their friendship. She texted him and said she wanted him out,” the insider stated. At this point, Starr was only about six months into his tenancy and attempted to smooth things over. “Daniel was really upset. He loved living there and felt he’d done nothing wrong. That’s when he brought his lawyer in.”

In addition to Bumgartner, Starr was also reported to be close with Costner’s children, and hoped that their divide could be mended. “Daniel thought really highly of Kevin and thought he was an excellent father to his kids,” the source said. “But Kevin hit the roof and sided with his wife. Ultimately, he wasn’t willing to hear Daniel out.”

Baumgartner filed for divorce from Costner last month, citing irreconcilable differences and listing the date of separation as April 11. She also requested joint custody of their three teenage children: Cayden, Hayes, and Grace. In his legal response, Costner also cited irreconcilable differences and asked for joint custody of their kids. PEOPLE previously noted that Costner’s filing mentioned a prenup, which is apparently referenced due to potential issues of spousal support, properties, and legal fees. This comes decades after an $80 million divorce from his first wife Cindy Silva, whom he was with from 1978 until 1994. Costner and Baumgartner had been together for almost 20 years, having married in 2004.