BLINDSIDED by DIVORCE

KEVIN COSTNER’S WIFE OF 18 YEARS HAS PULLED THE PLUG ON THEIR LONG-STANDING HOLLYWOOD MARRIAGE. HERE’S WHAT REALLY LED TO HER SHOCKING DECISION.

AFTER five years of playing beloved patriarch John Dutton on the smash-hit series Yellowstone, actor Kevin Costner is leaving the show. The surprising news comes amid rumors of behind-the-scenes tension between the Oscar winner and the show’s creator, Taylor Sheridan, as well as reports that the grueling filming hours got the best of Kevin. “He had to juggle a ridiculously hectic schedule,” says a source, “and had so many demands on his shoulders.”

The dramatic decision to bow out was a case of too little, too late for Kevin’s soon-to-be ex-wife, Christine Baumgartner, who blindsided the 68-year-old with divorce papers on May 1. “Kevin doesn’t deny that his work commitments were taking a toll on their relationship,” the source tells Star. “But he’s shocked and heartbroken.” The actor and Christine, 49 — who wed in 2004 — share three kids: Cayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 12. Now he’s bracing himself for what could be a messy split. “Kevin’s worth more than $250 million, and that’s not even counting his Yellowstone fortune,” says a second source. “If Christine doesn’t get what she wants, it could get very contentious.”

ABSENTEE HUSBAND