Kevin Costner was in full dad mode at the Cannes Film Festival for the premiere of his new movie, Horizon: An American Saga.
Costner, 69, posed on the red carpet with five of his seven children on Sunday, May 19. Nearly the entire family opted for chic sunglasses during their rare outing together. While Costner and his sons went the more classic route with tuxedos, his daughters stunned in colorful dresses, fitting right in at Cannes.
The actor was joined by daughters Annie, 40, and Lily, 37, whom he shares with ex-wife Cindy Silva. Costner’s son Joe, 36 — also from his first marriage to Silva — was not present. His youngest kids, Cayden, 17, Hayes, 15, and Grace, 13, also walked the red carpet with their dad. (Costner and Bridget Rooney’s son, Liam, 26, also skipped out on the affair.)
Costner shares Cayden, Hayes and Grace with ex-wife Christine Baumgartner. Us Weekly confirmed in May 2023 that Baumgartner had filed for divorce from the Yellowstone star after 19 years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences.
Their split got off to a messy start, igniting a four-month legal battle before the pair reached a settlement in September 2023. Their relationship was officially terminated, finalizing their divorce, in February. (Baumgartner has since been romantically linked to her and Costner’s neighbor Josh Connor. The actor, for his part, sparked romance rumors with Jewel.)
Despite facing ups and downs with his ex-wife, it seems Costner is still on good terms with their kids. He even cast his son Hayes in Horizon.
“It’s your movie you get to pick who you hang out with 👍🏻 Really proud of my son, Hayes, for making his acting debut in #HorizonAmericanSaga,” Costner, who directed the movie, shared via Instagram on March 4. “And thanks to all of you for the love you’ve shown our trailer this week. I couldn’t be more excited to share this with you.”
Horizon has been over three decades in the making with Costner at the helm of the multi-film series. The decision to cast Hayes was an easy one, the actor revealed last month.
“I named him after the character I play in this. My character’s named Hayes Ellison,” Costner explained to Entertainment Tonight. “And I named Hayes [after] that character. So, I was watching him grow up and I was thinking, ‘Man, I better get with it and make this movie!’”
Costner said the teenager is “very good” in the “small part,” confessing that Hayes did not have to audition for the role.
“I don’t give great parts away. I understand that there’s young actors out [there] that would kill for these parts,” Costner continued. “And so, [I] have to respect the profession. But in certain instances, this was something I thought he could handle. I wanted him close and so I did it. So, we’re locked together in a film forever. Actually, I’m not in any scenes with him, but I directed him when he was little and now he’s big.”
When Horizon premiered at Cannes on Sunday, Costner was brought to tears after receiving a 10-minute standing ovation.
“I’m sorry you had to clap that long for me to understand that I should speak,” he said in a speech after the film. “Such a good moment, not just for me, but for the actors who came with me, for people who believed in me, who continued to work. It’s a funny business, and I’m so glad I found it. There’s no place like here.”
