Kevin Costner’s ex is moving closer to her new love – literally.
Christine Baumgartner has moved to new digs a mere two miles from financier Josh Connor as their yearlong affair heats up.
They enjoyed a casual afternoon date at the exclusive Coral Casino and Cabana Club – a stone’s throw from the financier’s house on Saturday.
As they left Connor, 49, had his arm draped over her back while her hand clasped on to his backside.
Baumgartner, 50, infamously complained last year in court that her $40,000-a-week Montecito rental wasn’t good enough for her family while battling for a slice of Yellowstone star Kevin Costner’s fortune.
Christine and new love Josh Connor enjoyed a low-key date at the swank private members’ Coral Casino and Cabana Club in Montecito at the weekend
The couple had no problem being touchy-feely at the exclusive club on Butterfly Beach where membership costs $2,500-a-month
Now: Christine Baumgartner’s Range Rover SUV is seen here parked outside her new rental home in a leafy part of Montecito
Now DailyMail.com can reveal Baumgartner is on the move again: this time to a far cheaper home with just three bedrooms, a smaller backyard – and no pool.
Her new home is a brand-new $3.6m rental property tucked away down a secluded driveway in a leafy part of the tiny California town where similar properties rent for $22,000-per-month.
But there is one big advantage – the house is less than two miles from boyfriend Josh Connor’s property.
While the pair have gushed to friends about their love and plans to marry – as revealed by DailyMail.com in May – they are yet to move in together.
Instead, Baumgartner is settling into her new pad, with exclusive DailyMail.com photos showing her Range Rover SUV parked outside the property which, although more compact than her last rental property, does at least have its own guest house.
The 3,786 sq ft property occupies a plot totaling less than an acre but it boasts manicured gardens and has 4.5 bathrooms according to the Santa Barbara County Assessor.
Baumgartner had been living in a deluxe four-bedroom home nearby that came complete with a large swimming pool and custom fittings but complained in court that it wasn’t ‘comparable’ to Costner’s sprawling estate that includes three separate houses and backs directly onto the beach.
Costner’s main house has an infinity pool that overlooks the Pacific and décor that combines striped rugs with tan leather couches and cream walls for a look that emphasizes ‘California living’.
On top of that, the 69-year-old movie veteran’s home is kitted out for watersports and surfing with the garage in one former neighbor’s home now a storeroom for surfboards, wetsuits and dive equipment.
Baumgartner and Connor put on a loving display during their weekend date, but while the pair have gushed to friends over their relationship and plans to marry, they are yet to move in together
Baumgartner and Connor appeared carefree and held hands on their weekend stroll togetherin Montecito
The new property occupies a plot totaling less than an acre but it boasts manicured gardens and has 4.5 bathrooms according to the Santa Barbara County Assessor
Christine infamously complained that her previous home, a four-bedroom, $40,000-a-week Montecito rental complete with a large swimming pool and custom fittings, wasn’t good enough for her family in court last year
The four-bedroom property she had previously occupied nearby came with its own pool complete with a jacuzzi, costing a hefty $40,000 in rent
The ex-couple’s eldest son Caden, 17, even has his own boat kept at the property which he uses for fishing trips to the Channel Islands and diving.
By contrast, Baumgartner’s new home has no views at all but is in a leafy part of Montecito and within driving distance of upmarket deli Pierre LaFonde and the Montecito Coffee Shop where Costner was seen with the former couple’s three children shortly after he succeeded in having Baumgartner’s child support payments slashed in half last September.
Baumgartner, who settled her divorce with Costner last October, had wanted an eye-watering $161,000-a-month but saw her temporary award of $129,000-a-month halved to just $63,000 instead.
The mom-of-three has since found love again with venture capitalist Connor whose daughter Abigail, 13, is close pals with Baumgartner’s daughter Grace, also 13.
In May, DailyMail.com revealed that the couple’s relationship has become increasingly serious with besotted Connor telling friends he wants to marry Baumgartner.
A source said: ‘He knows he can give her what Kevin didn’t, even though he is a high-powered professional in his own career.
‘Trying to blend two families isn’t easy but she’s worth it.’
Baumgartner, seen here at court after a hearing regarding her divorce from Costner, right, in August 2023, had wanted an eye-watering $161,000-a-month but saw her temporary award of $129,000-a-month halved to just $63,000-a-month instead
Costner’s pile is a huge compound that includes three separate houses and sits directly on the beach across 10-acres and is reportedly worth $145 million
Baumgartner’s friends have also confirmed that the relationship is serious, with one telling DailyMail.com: ‘Christine herself said Josh is the man she wants to spend the rest of her life with.
‘Christine said she’s never been happier, especially now that she and Josh have decided to go public with their relationship.
‘Her friends said they wouldn’t be surprised if they got married within the next year, something intimate and simple.’
Connor’s buttoned-down worklife is a far cry from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood that Baumgartner gt used t during her near-two-decaes married to Costner.
He is a managing director and co-portfolio manager of Oaktree Capital’s Infrastructure Investing strategy, specializing in the transportation sector.
He has worked for the asset management company since 2017 – after serving as a strategic advisor to the firm’s Infrastructure Investing team since September 2015.
Connor has worked as an investor, key strategic advisor, lender, and an investment banker to transportation companies around the world.
Before joining Oaktree, he founded Connor Capital SB, an investment firm that focuses on equity investments in transportation companies.
He also served as managing director and the co-head of the Industrials Banking Group at Barclays, a member of the Barclays Investment Banking Operating Committee, and Global Head of Transportation Banking.
He currently serves on the boards of directors of Frontier Airlines and Copa Holdings.
