He divorced his wife of 16 years in September following a bitter court battle and last week, Hollywood actor Kevin Costner embraced single life while partying on Richard Branson’s Necker Island for the Necker Cup, an exclusive pro amateur tennis event. 

But an insider tells Closer that the actor’s friends are worried he hasn’t had time to fully process the divorce and suggest he needs to take some time out ahead of his big summer project, Horizon, a two-part American epic Western film which he – as well as starring in – has co-written, produced and directed.

The insider revealed, “Kevin Costner is all in on his reinvention right now, as he parties hard ahead of a huge career push with his expensive and expansive summer movie. But he’s all over the map and having a delayed meltdown following the demise of his marriage and subsequent divorce war.”

They added the divorce is a huge financial investment for the Paramount’s Yellowstone star, and that his divorce to handbag designer Christine Baumgartner – which he ended out paying more on child support than was agreed on in their prenuptial agreement – was a shock to him.

“Kevin is heavily, personally invested in next year’s Horizon Parts I and II and not just in terms of his time and effort. He has a ton of his ‘Yellowstone’ money in this thing and he knows there’s no guarantee of success. The divorce coming in the middle of that process, and totally unexpectedly, just made him focus more on getting back into the centre of the movie conversation.”

In May, Christine – who Kevin shares children Cayden Wyatt, 15, Hayes Logan, 14, and Grace Avery, 13 with – filed for divorce, citing “irreconcilable differences.”

Kevin’s representative released a statement which said, “It is with great sadness that circumstances beyond his control have transpired which have resulted in Mr. Costner having to participate in a dissolution of marriage action.”

After a contentious legal battle, which included Kevin, 67, having to get Christine, 49, to leave their mansion, a disagreement over child support and accusations that Christine cleared out their home of valuables before she moved out, they finally settled their divorce in September. Kevin’s representative said at the time, “Kevin and Christine Costner have come to an amicable and mutually agreed upon resolution of all issues pertaining to their divorce proceedings.”

The insider added the shock divorce has been traumatic for Kevin, especially as Christine was his ‘anchor’ and he now needs to take some time out to ‘soul search.’ However, he’s instead back on the Hollywood treadmill and is working out frequently to reinvent himself ahead of filming Horizon.

They say, “Kevin has been so consumed by work and just getting through the divorce it’s only just sinking in that his marriage is really over. It was such an ugly battle too that he has had to put his head down and get on with it to stay sane, but now that some time has passed, the full weight of it is hitting him. 

“He’s having to process a lot of his trauma and readjust to life without Christine. For all their issues she was his anchor so he’s struggling a lot without her. He should really be taking time out to do some soul searching, but instead he’s back on the Hollywood treadmill, figuratively and literally because he’s on this whole makeover mission so he’s training morning and night.” 

They add he’s on a restrictive high protein diet to be fully prepared for the big project that’s to come, and also to help him embrace the single life.

“It’s not a fun time to be Kevin Costner right now, he’s really putting himself through the ringer. He’s under so much stress because if Horizon isn’t a hit, it’ll be a disaster for him financially. He’s gone all in on it, so the stakes are very high and he’s willing to die on the hill of this project. It could pay off in a huge way, or totally sink him. He’s known for taking these big gambles on himself, the high risk really motivates him. And for the most part the gambles have paid off. But not always, so there’s very much the chance of failure hanging over his head. 

“That’s why he’s working so hard on every aspect of this, including all these improvements to his looks. He’s actually not a vain guy, if it were up to him, he wouldn’t get a thing done. Of course, looking better now that he’s back on the single’s market isn’t going to hurt him, so that’s a silver lining to all of this because he is forcing himself to get out and live life again.

“It can’t be all work and no play. That’s why he accepted the invite to Necker Island. He was surrounded by people half his age so it’s good he’s been working out but he hardly seemed to be relaxed. He’s just got so many plates spinning, keeping a handle on it all is near impossible.”

Kevin has been in the public eye since the 1980s and has consistently been one of Hollywood’s most sought-after stars. His roles in films such as Dances with Wolves, The Bodyguard, and Field of Dreams have made him a Hollywood legend. While he has stayed true to his roots, he has also successfully transitioned to television, starring in shows such as Yellowstone and Hatfields & McCoys, but film is his passion.

The source explained, “Yellowstone’ made him relevant again, but he never wanted to be a TV star. That show was nothing more than a profitable detour for him. He’s in the process of getting back to being ‘the real Kevin’ now, turning over a new leaf and opening his mind to new experiences. 

“He knows he has to be red carpet ready next summer, he knows he has to satisfy the new fans he picked up during the ‘Yellowstone’ experience with ‘Horizon,’ and he thinks he can will this into success because he’s done it a few times before – with ‘Field of Dreams,’ ‘Dances With Wolves,’ and ‘The Bodyguard’ just to name a few movies that people doubted before they came out but became these massive, culture-defining hits. 

“As sad as it is, the makeovers, the weight loss, the hair colouring are all part of that process. He needs to look like ‘Kevin Costner, Movie Star’ through this entire campaign, and he has the support of the studio [Warner Bros.] to do so. This whole project is going to hinge on reviving the look and vibe he initially captured in the early nineties and selling it to millions of people who have never seen those early, classic movies – and it just might work!”