As Kevin Costner faces his second divorce, this time with Christine Baumgartner, the actor’s first marriage to Cindy Silva is revisited, marked by rumors of infidelity that led to one of Hollywood’s most expensive divorces.
Costner and Silva were married from 1978 to 1994. The marriage came to an end amid speculations that Costner had been unfaithful, particularly with a woman named Michelle Amaral during the filming of “Waterworld” in Hawaii.
Reports suggested that Costner had a romantic involvement with Amaral, a hula dancer, causing strain on his marriage with Silva. Amaral, a married mother of three, denied the affair rumors, which added fuel to the speculation.
While the truth behind the rumors remains unclear, some insiders hinted at Costner’s alleged history of infidelity. A studio source remarked, “I don’t know anyone who doesn’t know about him [and other women].”
Costner, acknowledging the challenges of marriage, told the New York Daily News before news of the divorce broke, “The temptations are pretty strong — and there’s a hungry world out there waiting for you to fall. So you can’t even dabble without paying a huge price.”
Apart from the rumored affair with Amaral, there were previous reports of Costner’s alleged infidelity with a nightclub receptionist named Sheri Stewart during the filming of “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” in the UK.
Despite the rumors, Costner and Silva did not address the alleged affairs in their joint statement announcing their divorce. Instead, they released a statement saying, “After 16 years together, we are ending our marriage. We have amicably resolved all issues regarding our children and financial affairs, and a full marital settlement has been reached.”
Cindy reportedly received an $80 million settlement along with shared custody of their children: Annie, Lily, and Joe. The divorce highlighted the challenges of fame on family life, a sentiment Costner had previously expressed.
