Photos and eyewitness accounts from TMZ and Daily Mail paint a clear picture: Costner, 70, and Baumgartner, 51, attended Cayden’s milestone but stayed on opposite ends of the school grounds. Costner, dressed in white pants and a tan jacket, sat with his daughter Lily, 38, from his first marriage to Cindy Silva, while Baumgartner, radiant in a brown floral midi dress, posed separately with Cayden. The 18-year-old graduate, in his green cap and gown, snapped pics with both parents but no group shots occurred, signaling no family unity. “They didn’t interact at all,” a Daily Mail source noted, adding, “The good days are long gone.” Fans on X, like

@NatEnquirer

, called it a “toxic hate-off,” reflecting the public’s take on their frosty dynamic.

The tension stems from a bitter divorce battle that began in May 2023. Baumgartner initially sought $248,000 monthly in child support for Cayden, Hayes (16), and Grace (15), but a judge enforced their prenup, granting her $63,209 monthly and a $1 million lump sum, per People. Costner’s accusations of Baumgartner’s affair with financier Josh Connor, a former friend, added fuel. Baumgartner denied infidelity under oath, but her engagement to Connor in January 2025, confirmed by People, suggests overlap. Costner reportedly barred Connor from the graduation, per Woman’s Day Australia, highlighting his protective stance.

Despite the drama, Costner’s focus remains on his seven children: Annie (41), Lily (38), and Joe (37) with Silva; Liam (28) with Bridget Rooney; and Cayden, Hayes, and Grace with Baumgartner. At the graduation, siblings Hayes, Grace, and Lily joined the celebration. Costner told People in January 2025, “My son Cayden is graduating, so all the children are coming in for a four- or five-day event.” He designs his homes—like his $145 million Santa Barbara beach compound—to be welcoming, saying, “I want them to enjoy coming back, even with their own families.” His parenting approach, shared in a People exclusive, emphasizes individuality: “You love them all the same, but you adjust to their differences.”

At 70, Costner shows no signs of slowing down. His docuseries Kevin Costner’s The West, airing on the History Channel since May 2025, outshines Yellowstone’s melodrama with its unflinching look at the American frontier, earning an 80% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. His Horizon: An American Saga sequel faced lawsuits and a box-office flop, per

@CJournalist24

on X, but Costner remains undeterred. “I don’t think about retiring,” he told People. “My imagination drives what I do.” Upcoming projects, like FOX Nation’s Yellowstone to Yosemite (February 2025), keep him busy, while dating rumors with Jewel and Sharon Stone swirl, though he insists he’s not serious with anyone.

The graduation was about Cayden, not a Costner-Baumgartner reunion. Baumgartner’s engagement to Connor, planning a Hawaiian wedding, per Daily Mail, and Costner’s focus on family and work confirm they’ve moved on. Fans on X, like

@redvoicenews

, speculate Costner’s “revenge” is thriving professionally, but the graduation shows both parents prioritizing their son despite personal rifts.