‘He’s a Ginger?’: Kevin Costner, 69, Shocks Fans by Debuting ‘Orange’ Hair in Venice

Yesterday, on September 2, Hollywood icon Kevin Costner, 69, was spotted arriving in style for the 81st Venice International Film Festival in Italy. What caught the public’s attention was the star’s striking hair color, which is currently a light orange.

Making his way to the esteemed film event via a boat, Kevin looked effortlessly cool in his dark sunglasses, light beige linen shirt, matching pants, and cream-colored jacket with the sleeves rolled up.

A slow-motion video of the “Dances with Wolves” actor’s arrival depicts him lounging at the front of the boat as he enjoyed a bottled beverage.

The footage then cuts to another moment showing Kevin strolling along a pavement, surrounded by his team. After this, the video shows him waving to the crowd from a boardwalk. Taking to Instagram, Kevin shared another video of himself riding through Venice’s canals via a boat.

“Hello, Venice! It’s almost time to premiere @horizonamericansaga Chapter 2 at #VeniceFilmFestival,” penned the entertainer in the caption accompanying his post. Upon seeing the videos and photos of Kevin, netizens took to online comment sections to express their opinions, particularly where it concerned his hair.

A Facebooker who was surprised by his hair color expressed, “I feel like I don’t remember his hair being that color.” Similarly, someone else pondered, “He’s a ginger?”

Netizens who were unimpressed with Kevin’s locks did not hold back in making judgments. “His hair looks ridiculous. He would be much more handsome with grey hair!” asserted an observer. One vehement social media user commanded, “Stop [dyeing] the hair!”

Amid the disapproval, however, came a flurry of praise for Kevin. “You looking good,” commended someone else while a fan stated, “Venice looks great on you!” “Oh my God….so cool,” noted another underneath Kevin’s Instagram post.

“He’s hot even with orange hair lol,” remarked a fan on Instagram. Another admirer swooned, “The older he gets, the better he gets 🙌🙌❤️.”

Like the aforementioned fan, Kevin also thinks he is getting better with age. On his birthday last year (January 18, 2023), he shared a post on Instagram highlighting how he felt about celebrating the fact that he is aging.

“Don’t believe what they say about getting older. Each passing year is a gift, and it gets better and better with time. Thank you for the birthday wishes,” wrote the “Waterworld” talent in his caption. He stated this alongside a picture of himself dressed like his cowboy character, John Dutton, from “Yellowstone.”

Speaking about the popular Western drama series in June 2024, Kevin shared with ET that he would not be returning as John Dutton for the second half of the show’s fifth and final season.

At the time, Kevin was promoting his then-new film “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1” and speaking about the desires he has for his legacy.

“‘Yellowstone’ was a great moment in my life. I remember reading it, and thinking I wanted to do this. Maybe do one season or just one long movie, and ended up doing five [seasons],” disclosed the actor.

Unpacking his decision to leave the show, Kevin expressed how he initially had tried to balance working on the series while pursuing other ventures, but he ultimately was not able to make that work.

On June 21, Kevin took to Instagram to confirm the news after swirling speculations about him feuding with “Yellowstone’s” co-creator Taylor Sheridan and engaging in negotiations with Paramount. In a video message, he let his fans know about the demanding schedule he had for both “Horizon” sagas and “Yellowstone.”

“I just realized that I am not going to be able to continue season 5, or into the future,” revealed the “Field of Dreams” star.

Backing up his statement, a spokesperson for Paramount Network said, “While we had hoped that we would continue working with him, unfortunately, we could not find a window that worked for him […] We respect that Kevin has prioritized his new film series and we wish him the best.”

With regards to Kevin’s hopes for his legacy, he said, “I make movies, and I’m a part of things that I think are gonna be really watchable. That’s what I want, to be for people to be surprised.”

He also spoke about how he thinks he managed to achieve this goal with both his “Horizon” film series and “Yellowstone”—projects that are very close to his heart.

In the same month (June) that Kevin Costner discussed his legacy and exit from “Yellowstone,” he sat down with Howard Stern to clear up speculations about his personal life.

Kevin clarified rumors about his relationship with Grammy-nominated singer Jewel, stating it is strictly platonic. In a “The Howard Stern Show” interview on June 18, Kevin said he was not in love and firmly denied any romantic involvement with her.

“No, Jewel and I are friends. We’ve never gone out ever. She’s special, and I don’t want, I don’t want these rumors to ruin our friendship because that’s what we have. She’s special to me. She’s beautiful enough to go out with,” Kevin said.

Netizens who saw Howard’s interview reacted quickly with a mix of excitement, skepticism, and support. One fan commented, “Oh please you know it’s happening [sic].”

Another chimed in, “They’d be cute together,” while a more convinced viewer remarked, “Oh he’s dating her [sic].” Despite Kevin denying any romantic involvement with Jewel, one netizen supported their relationship, simply stating, “I ship it [sic].”

Others took a more pragmatic stance, with one user noting, “Even if he is dating her what’s the big deal [?] It’s their business [sic].” The dating rumors began after photos surfaced of Kevin and Jewel together on Richard Branson’s Necker Island in December 2023.

They participated in a tennis fundraiser for the Inspiring Children Foundation, which Jewel founded. TMZ reported that their interactions appeared “flirty” and suggested that they were more than friends.

Jewel also shared a video on her Instagram about their trip and even tagged Kevin in her caption. Speaking to TMZ, a source divulged, “You could tell they were trying to be discreet, but anybody who saw them could tell something was going on.”

The speculation intensified after Kevin’s divorce from Christine Baumgartner, his wife of 18 years, was finalized in February 2024. They separated shortly after filing for divorce in May last year (2023).

Continuing his interview with Howard, Kevin provided additional context about his Necker Island trip, explaining that they were part of a group visiting the place. He mentioned that his friend Richard had been inviting him to the island for years, and he finally accepted the invitation.

“We were down at Branson’s Island. She has a foundation, which I didn’t know, and she was part of the foundation,” shared the actor.

Kevin also recalled being among the nine guests on the island, which included “Harry Potter” actress Emma Watson, emphasizing that the rumors of him and Jewel traveling together privately were untrue.

Clarifying the matter further, Kevin expressed frustration over the persistent rumors. “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, and she’s been through a lot herself, and so we have a friendship. We don’t have a romance, and we’ve not dated,” explained the star.

He described Jewel as “beautiful” and “smart,” adding, “She’s everything you might think, but it just hasn’t happened.” Kevin’s statement comes after Jewel addressed their relationship status last April (2023).

Jewel opened up about the actor and praised him. “He’s a great person,” gushed the singer while blushing. She then went on to note the fascination that the public has with him. “The public fascination is intense for sure.”

The artist also shared her thoughts on relationships in May. While some sources viewed her and Kevin as an item, Jewel insists her happiness is not tied to any man. “I found love, and I’m not talking about Kevin’s. I’m so happy, irrelevant of a man. It has nothing to do with being in a relationship or not being in one,” she said.

Jewel spoke about the love she had discovered within herself, which she had sought her entire life. Concerning her love life, the singer was previously married to rodeo star Ty Murray, but they separated in 2014. They share a son named Kase Townes Murray.

Speaking about her divorce, Jewel admitted that it was a tough choice. She explained that letting go of the dream of marriage was difficult due to the grief that came with divorce.

However, she decided to move on for her own well-being. “I’m a lot more present now. I’m a present mom, which I worked hard on,” added the musician.