Kevin Costner speaks out about Jewel dating rumors

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Kevin Costner brought to tears by Cannes standing ovation

The actor was seen dabbing his eyes after Part One of his new movie Horizon: An American Saga received a rave reaction from the notoriously harsh crowd at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

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Hold your horses: Kevin Costner and Jewel are not an item, he says.

The "Yellowstone" star, 69, denied rumors he is dating the singer and songwriter on "The Howard Stern Show," clarifying that they are just friends.

"We've never gone out, ever," the actor said. "She's special, and I don't want these rumors to ruin our friendship because that's what we have. I mean, she's beautiful enough to go out with."

Costner split from his wife, Christine Baumgartner, in 2023 after 18 years of marriage. They share three children. The former couple reached what Costner's representative described to USA TODAY as an "amicable and mutually agreed upon" settlement in September.

In December, the "Horizon" actor and Jewel sparked dating rumors after TMZ reported they flew to the Caribbean together to participate in a fundraiser for her foundation on Richard Branson's Necker Island and were seen being "flirty" with one another.

But Costner stressed on "The Howard Stern Show" that he flew to the island with nine people, including Jewel and Emma Watson, and that Branson invited him there. During the trip, he said he had "tremendous conversations" with both Jewel and Watson.

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"The rumor was I went down on a private plane with her, I went back on a private plane," he said. "I was on with nine people, and I don't want the press to ruin this for us because I've had conversations with her text wise, and she's so smart."

Costner added, "We have a friendship. We don't have a romance. We've not dated. She's beautiful and smart enough for all those things. It just has never happened for us."

The actor also told Stern he is not in love with anyone right now but noted, "I like the idea of that."

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Jewel previously addressed the Costner dating rumors in an Elle profile published in April, though she played coy.

"He's a great person," she told Elle, adding that the "public fascination is intense for sure."

In an interview with People magazine published in May, Jewel also shut down a question about the rumored romance.

"I found love, and I'm not talking about Kevin's," she said. "I'm so happy, irrelevant of a man. It has nothing to do with being in a relationship or not being in one."

Contributing: Edward Segarra and KiMi Robinson