Kevin Costner has been linked to producer Kelly Noonan Gores, and media coverage of the reported relationship has focused on the likeness between Noonan Gores and Costner’s estranged wife, Christine Baumgartner.
The Daily Mail reported the pair were seen in the same Colorado area over the summer and quoted a source saying Costner has been “dating and happy again” after last year’s highly publicized divorce from Baumgartner. The report said the two attended events near Aspen in late July, though they did not appear together publicly at the festival.
The coverage of Costner’s romance has renewed attention to a recurring pattern in celebrity relationships: several prominent men have been linked to new partners who bear noticeable resemblances to their former spouses. Media outlets and social platforms have highlighted physical similarities, hairstyles and sartorial choices in ways that draw comparisons across successive relationships.
One recent example cited in reports involves businessman James Cook, formerly married to model Poppy Delevingne. Cook and Delevingne were married in 2014; reports in 2023 and 2024 indicated the couple had separated. Cook later announced his engagement to Lauren Brown and shared images of Brown’s pregnancy. Observers noted Brown’s resemblance to Delevingne, and Cook’s Instagram posts documenting the engagement and the couple’s baby news were widely circulated.
Actors Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan married in 2009 after meeting on the set of Step Up and separated in 2018, with their divorce finalised the following year. Tatum dated singer Jessie J from 2018 to 2020; commentators and some fans noted similarities in appearance and build between Dewan and Jessie J, particularly in their dark hair and athletic silhouettes.
Reports have pointed to parallels in other high-profile pairings. Gavin Rossdale, who split from Gwen Stefani in 2016, has been seen with singer Xhoana Xheneti, and some observers have compared Xheneti’s long hair and makeup style to Stefani’s signature look. Ethan Hawke dated and later married Ryan Shawhughes after his 1990s marriage to Uma Thurman ended; coverage of Hawke’s relationships has emphasized shared features such as light hair and angular facial structures.
In British entertainment, Sir Lenny Henry’s second wife, Lisa Makin, has been noted for a hairstyle resembling that of his long-term former partner, Dawn French. Musicians and performers have also been cited in this pattern: Robin Thicke began a relationship with April Love Geary after divorcing Paula Patton, and the two women have been compared as brunettes with similar facial features. Marc Anthony’s marriage to Jennifer Lopez ended in 2014, and his subsequent relationship and brief marriage to model Shannon de Lima attracted commentary about a resemblance between de Lima and Lopez.
Simon Cowell’s relationships have also been framed that way in coverage. Cowell was romantically linked to Terri Seymour in the 2000s and later began a relationship with Lauren Silverman; press accounts have noted shared features and style between the two women.
Media interest in such resemblances is longstanding and often fuels commentary about personal preferences or “types.” Public discussion typically focuses on visual similarities and fashion choices rather than on the private reasons behind individual romantic decisions. While reporters and commentators point to repeated patterns, the available public record consists primarily of photographs, social-media posts and occasional quotations from people close to the subjects.
Experts in human perception note that people are prone to detect patterns and similarities, particularly when public figures and high-profile relationships are involved, and that such observations can be amplified by social media. News coverage tends to highlight visual parallels because photographs and red-carpet images are readily available for comparison.
In the cases cited, the timing of relationships and public announcements varies: some former couples separated several years before a new pairing formed, while in other instances new relationships became public within months of a split. In most instances, reporting relies on public appearances, social-media posts and statements from representatives or from people close to the parties.
The renewed attention surrounding Costner’s reported relationship underscores how personal lives of public figures remain a focus for outlets and audiences. Coverage of resemblance-driven narratives continues to surface across entertainment reporting, even as the individuals involved move into new chapters of their personal lives.