Awkward! Kevin Costner and ex-wife Christine Baumgartner keep their distance at son's volleyball game…days after his cozy outing with glam lifestyle coach 31 years his junior

Kevin Costner found himself back in close quarters with ex-wife Christine Baumgartner as the former couple turned out to support their son at a beach volleyball game - just days after the Hollywood star was spotted getting cozy with a glamorous younger woman. 

Exclusive Daily Mail pictures show the 71-year-old actor and his ex-wife, 52, sharing the sidelines in Santa Barbara more than two years after their spectacular divorce battle brought their 18-year marriage to a bitter end. 

But despite finding themselves just feet apart on the sand at times, the former spouses appeared to keep largely to themselves while focusing their attention on 17-year-old son Hayes Logan Costner.

Costner cut a conspicuous figure in white, matching a simple T-shirt and pants with flip flops. 

The Yellowstone star appeared relaxed as he leaned back in his folding chair with the ocean providing a picturesque backdrop, occasionally getting to his feet and mingling with other spectators and players. 

He was also seen approaching Hayes on the sand, stopping to chat with his teenage son who was shirtless and dressed in black shorts after playing volleyball. 

Kevin Costner was seen supporting his son Hayes, 17, at a beach volleyball game in Santa Barbara on Tuesday 

Ex Christine Baumgartner (left), meanwhile, was seen speaking with her son separately, with no signs of Costner nearby 

Costner was married to Christine Baumgartner from 2004 until their 2023 separation

Baumgartner, meanwhile, kept things casual in a green baseball cap, green T-shirt, and loose white jeans as she watched from nearby. 

Accompanied by an older woman, she was later seen speaking to her son separately. 

Hayes is the middle of the three children Costner shares with his former wife, alongside Cayden, 19, and daughter Grace, 16. 

The siblings were at the center of one of the most contentious aspects of their parents' divorce in 2023, as Costner and Baumgartner battled over how much the actor should pay each month in child support. 

Their divorce became final in February 2024 after an eye-popping battle over cash and assets which revealed astonishing household spending - as Baumgartner, at one point demanded $248,000 a month for support of their kids.  

Costner was ultimately ordered to pay his ex-wife $63,209 in monthly child support for their three children and $1.5 million to her personally. 

The Hollywood star, 71, was beach-ready in an all-white ensemble, flip flops and sunglasses, while his teenage son went shirtless and in black shorts 

The Oscar-winner, who was back in close quarters with his ex-wife, at times left his beach chair to mingle with those gathered around the volleyball game 

The mom-of-three, who was accompanied by an older woman, kept it lowkey in a green T-shirt, white jeans, and a green cap 

On Tuesday, the exes seemed to be in the same small group on the sidelines, though they did not appear to engage in any lengthy one-on-one conversation.  

Costner was later seen packing up, carrying his black folding chair across the sand as the gathering wound down. 

Their low-key reunion comes after both have moved on from the bitter collapse of their marriage - though in very different ways. 

Baumgartner has since married financier Josh Connor last October, while Costner's romantic life has remained considerably more mysterious. 

Exclusive Daily Mail photos captured him on a domestic supermarket run with glamorous lifestyle coach Jennifer Milburn, 40, earlier this month.

The two were see stocking up on steaks, vegetables, grapefruit juice, and cereal at Albertsons grocery store in Santa Barbara - where onlookers described the pair as being 'extremely affectionate.' 

Costner at one point was seen approached Hayes and teammates on the sand to chat following the volleyball action

The Yellowstone star watched the action unfold from his beach chair, against a picturesque backdrop of the Pacific Ocean

He later gathered his belongings, carrying his folding chair across the sand as the gathering wound down

And Milburn herself did little to quell speculation about the nature of her relationship with Costner. 

When contacted by the Daily Mail, she confirmed her identity, but abruptly hung up when asked whether she and the Oscar-winner were an item. 

Yet, despite being snapped together in California, it would appear it's a Colorado connection that may have brought her into Costner's orbit. 

The Daily Mail has learned Milburn has deep roots in the exclusive Rocky Mountain playground where Costner owns his spectacular 160-acre Dunbar Ranch. 

Milburn - who is also a former Delta flight attendant - spent nearly six years working for celebrity-favorite western retailer Kemo Sabe in Aspen, has modeled for local brands, and even goes by '@theaspenjenn' on Instagram. 

Social media also offers a glimpse into her part-time modeling career in the exclusive ski resort town, where she can be seen posing on horseback and sprawling ranches for a local jeans brand. 

Jennifer Milburn was seen getting cozy with Costner during a trip to Albertsons supermarket earlier this month 

Milburn has her own connection to one of Costner's favorite haunts, having previously spent nearly six years working for western retailer Kemo Sabe in Aspen, according to social media

Currently, she has a remote position as director of partnerships for a firm called Simon Sinek's The Optimism Company, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Dubbed 'the ultimate luxury retreat', Costner's Dunbar Ranch is so vast it's been likened to a mini town. 

The property has 12 bedrooms and eight bathrooms, and can comfortably sleep 27 people. 

He purchased the land in 2000 before transforming it into a picturesque paradise. 

The television star is known to split his time between his homes in California and Colorado - where he has been seen mingling with other A-listers at glitzy star-studded parties over the winter holidays. 

He was previously spotted enjoying drinks with Jennifer Lopez at hotspot Kemo Sabe - where Milburn once worked. 

Baumgartner has since moved on, marrying Josh Connor in October last year. Pictured in 2024

Costner shares three children, Hayes, Cayden, and Grace, with ex-wife Christine. And has daughter Annie (second from right) from a previous relationship 

Costner's links to Milburn come after the twice-divorced Yellowstone star was reported last year to have quietly found love again with filmmaker Kelly Noonan Gores, in what sources described at the time as a 'private and casual' romance.

His apparent relationship with Noonan Gores, ex-wife of billionaire Alex Gores, was first revealed in August 2025 after the two spent time together in Aspen. 

Yet his recent outing with Milburn has now fueled fresh speculation that he has a new woman in his life. 

Costner and Milburn were seen in exclusive Daily Mail photos getting cozy during the September trip to the supermarket. 

They made no apparent attempt to keep the outing under wraps, with a casually-dressed Costner smiling alongside his female companion as she wheeled the cart around the store.

At one point, Milburn even took the lead by pointing out their preferences at a meat counter.

They were later seen headed back to Costner's gray Mercedes-Benz in the parking lot, where the actor dutifully returned the shopping cart.