Kevin Costner’s ex is getting close to her new love, literally.
Christine Baumgartner has moved into a new home just two miles from financier Josh Connor as their year-long romance heats up.
They enjoyed a casual afternoon date at the exclusive Coral Casino and Cabana Club, a stone’s throw from the financier’s home, on Saturday.
As they left, Connor, 49, had his arm around her back while her hand was gripping his buttocks.
Baumgartner, 50, infamously complained in court last year that her $40,000-a-week rent in Montecito was not good enough for her family as she fought for a slice of Yellowstone star Kevin Costner’s fortune.
Christine and her new love, Josh Connor, enjoyed a low-key date at the posh private Coral Casino and Cabana Club in Montecito over the weekend.
The couple had no problem getting cozy at the exclusive Butterfly Beach club, 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 wooded area of Montecito.
Now DailyMail.com can reveal that Baumgartner is moving again – this time to a much cheaper home with just three bedrooms, a smaller backyard and no pool.
Their new home is a brand-new $3.6 million rental property tucked away on a secluded road in a leafy part of the small California town, where similar properties rent for $22,000 a month.
But there’s one big plus: The home is less than two miles from her boyfriend Josh Connor’s property.
While the couple have been gushing to friends about their love and plans to tie the knot (as DailyMail.com revealed in May), they have yet to move in together.
Instead, Baumgartner is settling into his new pad, with exclusive DailyMail.com photos showing his Range Rover SUV parked outside the property which, while more compact than his last rental property, at least has its own guest house.
The 3,786-square-foot property sits on a parcel of less than an acre in total, but features well-manicured landscaping and has 4.5 bathrooms, according to the Santa Barbara County appraiser.
Baumgartner had been living in a nearby four-bedroom luxury home that came complete with a large pool and custom fixtures, but complained in court that it was not “comparable” to Costner’s sprawling property that includes three separate homes and backs directly onto the beach.
Costner’s main home has an infinity pool overlooking the Pacific and decor that combines striped carpeting with tan leather couches and cream walls for a look that emphasizes “Californian living.”
On top of that, the 69-year-old film veteran’s home is equipped for water sports and surfing; the garage of a former neighbor’s house is now a storage room for surfboards, wetsuits and diving equipment.
Baumgartner and Connor showed off some PDA during their weekend date, but while the couple has spoken to friends about their relationship and plans to tie the knot, they haven’t moved in together yet.
Baumgartner and Connor appeared carefree and holding hands on their weekend outing together in Montecito.
The new property sits on a parcel of less than an acre in total, but features well-manicured landscaping and has 4.5 bathrooms, according to the Santa Barbara County assessor.
Christine infamously complained that her previous home, a four-bedroom rental in Montecito for $40,000 a week, complete with a large pool and custom fixtures, wasn’t good enough for her family in court last year.
The four-bedroom property he had previously occupied nearby came with its own pool and jacuzzi, which cost a hefty $40,000 to rent.
The former couple’s eldest son, Caden, 17, even has his own boat on the property which he uses for fishing trips to the Channel Islands and for diving.
By contrast, Baumgartner’s new home has no views at all, but it’s in a wooded area of Montecito and a short drive from the upscale Pierre LaFonde deli and the Montecito Coffee Shop, where Costner was spotted with the former couple’s three children shortly after he succeeded in having Baumgartner’s child support payments cut in half last September.
Baumgartner, who settled her divorce from Costner last October, wanted an exorbitant sum of $161,000 a month but saw her temporary compensation of $129,000 a month cut in half to just $63,000.
The mother of three has since found love again with venture capitalist Connor, whose daughter Abigail, 13, is close friends with Baumgartner’s daughter Grace, also 13.
In May, DailyMail.com revealed that the couple’s relationship has become increasingly serious and that smitten Connor has told friends he wants to marry Baumgartner.
A source said: ‘He knows he can give him what Kevin didn’t, even though he’s a top professional in his own career.
‘Trying to unite two families is not easy, but it is worth it.’
Baumgartner, seen here in court after a hearing on her divorce from Costner, right, in August 2023, wanted an exorbitant sum of $161,000 per month but saw her temporary award of $129,000 per month slashed in half to just $63,000 per month.
Costner’s estate is a massive compound that includes three separate homes and sits directly on the beach across 10 acres and is reportedly worth $145 million.
Baumgartner’s friends have also confirmed 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 has never been happier, especially now that she and Josh have decided to go public with their relationship.
‘Their friends said they wouldn’t be surprised if they got married next year, with something intimate and simple.’
Connor’s sober work life is a far cry from the Hollywood glitz and glamour Baumgartner was accustomed to during her nearly two-decade marriage to Costner.
He is a managing director and co-portfolio manager of Oaktree Capital’s infrastructure investment strategy, specializing in the transportation sector.
He has been with the asset management firm since 2017, after serving as a strategic advisor to the firm’s infrastructure investment team since September 2015.
Connor has worked as an investor, key strategic advisor, lender and investment banker to transportation companies around the world.
Prior to joining Oaktree, he founded Connor Capital SB, an investment firm focusing on equity investments in transportation companies.
He also served as Managing Director and Co-Head of Barclays’ Industrial Banking Group, a member of Barclays’ Investment Banking Operating Committee and Global Head of Transportation Banking.
He currently serves on the boards of Frontier Airlines and Copa Holdings.
