Who is Bridget Rooney, Kevin Costner’s Ex-girlfriend and Liam Costner’s Mother?

Bridget Rooney is the ex-girlfriend of renowned actor Kevin Costner, and the mother of his son, Liam Costner. Born on April 26, 1962, Kevin Costner’s ex-girlfriend is 62 and is an actress, socialite, businesswoman, and philanthropist.

Bridget, who is the granddaughter of Arthur Rooney, is an heiress to the Pittsburgh Steelers Football Club founded by Arthur. She got married to American billionaire businessman, Bill Koch, and together, they share one daughter Kaitlin Koch. Bridget’s marriage to Koch has lasted for almost two decades despite the fact that she and Bill are generations apart age-wise.

How Old is Bridget Rooney and Where was She Born?

Bridget Rooney is 62 years old and her date of birth was April 26th, 1962. She was born in California in the United States indicating her American nationality. With that said, the details of Bridget’s ethnicity mix are not known, though she has some Irish genes from her father’s side.

She is the daughter of Timothy James Rooney and his lifelong wife, June Marraccini. While nothing has been said about June’s career path her parents have been identified as Joseph Marraccini of Clairton; he worked with their family supermarket chain called, Marraccini’s Park and Shop as the director. Bridget’s father is renowned as an American businessman. He owns and runs Yonkers Raceway. Tim was also part of White Plains as an electronic contractor and owned Delta Electric Company.

Bridget obviously has relatives in high places – Arthur Joseph Rooney, the founder of Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League is her grandfather. The records revealed that Arthur is originally Irish but in 1880, he migrated to the United States to put down roots in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. He married the late Kathleen McNulty Rooney and they went on to have a family on American soil

The Rooney family has a massive legacy in the wheeling-dealing world of business, they are neck-deep in sports, and politics, and are born philanthropists. The Rooneys take the credit for establishing the thriving Palm Beach Kennel Club.

Bridget is the Last of Six Children

Bridget Rooney is not the only child born to Timothy and June. She spent her growing up years with five siblings – two brothers and three sisters

Her first brother, Timothy James Jr., is an alum of Stonehill College and works with the Yonkers Raceway Corporation as the assistant general manager where his dad is the president. He is into politics and a supporter of the Republican Party.

Born on November 21st, 1970, Bridget’s second brother, Thomas Joseph Rooney, is a politician under the Republican Party in the United States serving as a Representative from Florida – a position that lasted from 2009 to 2019.

Bridget Rooney’s sister, Kathleen Mcnulty, works as a real estate broker but is best known as the parent of Patricia Rooney Mara and Kate Rooney Mara who are both A-list actresses in Hollywood.

Her other sister Margaret is an alum of Boston College; she is the type that loves to shy away from public scrutiny, thus nothing much is known about her. Bridget’s immediate older sister, Cara Rooney, is the least-known member of the Rooney brood. Absolutely nothing has been said about her. We only knew her to be Tim and June’s fifth child younger than Bridget by a few years.

Other notable members of the Rooney family are Bridget’s uncle, Dan Rooney – the owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers

How Did Bridget Rooney Meet Kevin Costner?

A then 34-year-old Bridget Rooney was working with an Aspen-based TV station in 1994 when she first crossed paths with Kevin Costner, the man who would become her baby daddy.

Costner, an A-list Hollywood movie star best known for productions such as Dances with Wolves, Field of Dreams, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, No Way Out, and The Untouchables, just finalized his divorce from his first wife, Cindy Costner.

In 1995, the Golden Globe Award-winning actor went on to have a brief fling with Bridget that lasted a few months. They went public with their relationship earlier in 1996 and the same year, the duo decided to call it quits with their relationship, however, they already created a baby together.

Important to note that neither Kevin nor Bridget deemed it necessary to reveal the reason for the split.

When she found out she was pregnant, Bridget Rooney, who is a staunch Catholic, said the termination of her pregnancy wasn’t an option, and from day one, she became keen on having her baby despite the fact that her relationship with Kevin had long hit the rocks.

Bridget’s child, a boy called Liam Costner, eventually announced his entrance on the 15th of November 1996, a few months after his parents called it quits with their relationship.

Kevin Costner Demanded Paternity Test Before He Could Accept Liam Costner

Having a baby in the middle of a breakup has always raised a lot of dust and Bridget and Kevin’s case was no different. According to the reports that hit the airwaves at that period, the multi-award-winning Hollywood star had the course to suspect that Bridget’s baby might not be his, thus, he demanded a DNA test.

When Bridget Rooney was told to prepare for a paternity test, the American socialite was very confident. She entertained no fears and even went ahead to make a public statement saying she is 110% sure of who her baby’s father is. Rooney also said she is just enjoying her pregnancy.

After the news of Bridget’s pregnancy started making the rounds, many fans of the Hollywood star were of the opinion that the American socialite might be out to get a share of the actor’s massive fortune. However, these speculations were debunked when Bridget’s real identity was revealed. Sources went to dig and reported that the expectant mother doesn’t just attend glitzy parties she was described as “independent and independently wealthy” and not after Kevin’s wealth.

Talking to New York Magazine, an undisclosed insider said Bridget will never be in a position to need support from Costner considering the kind of wealthy background she comes from. After all, she is listed as an heiress to her grandfather’s football club, Pittsburgh Steelers, currently worth a whopping $3 billion.

After the paternity test named Costner as the father of Bridget Rooney’s baby, the American movie star and director went on to set up a trust fund for his son. According to ensuing reports, Kevin didn’t play much role in Liam’s life. Though he visited the boy, his visits didn’t happen often enough.

Liam has six half-siblings from his father’s side namely Annie (b. 1984), Lily (b. 1986, Joe (b. 1988), Cayden (b. 2007), Hayes (b. 2009), and Grace (b. 2010).

Bridget Rooney found Love again in 2001

Five years after she split up with her baby daddy, Kevin Costner, Bridget Rooney moved on with her life. This time around, she found love in the arms of a billionaire American businessman who goes by the name William ”Bill” Koch.

Reports revealed that the duo first crossed paths in Aspen, Colorado, in 2001, and though the details of their first meeting are not known, we were told that they started dating immediately.

At this time, Liam who was growing up under the watch of his mother was barely five, and earlier, Bridget had relocated her family to Palm Springs.

While Bill who has been an expert tennis player for decades was courting Bridget, he taught her to be a professional in the game. To his greatest surprise, his protégée became an adept hand in tennis and by the end of summer, she was beating him hands down.

We were not intimated with the details of Bill and Bridget’s official engagement but according to reports, the American businessman gifted his then-fiancée a 31-carat yellow diamond purchased from diamond tycoon Francois Graff in 2002.

Bridget Rooney’s Marriage with Bill Koch

Bridget Rooney and Bill Koch eventually tied the connubial knot in 2005, however, the exact date of their nuptials is not known. We were only told that their wedding ceremony was hosted in Colorado.

The couple’s wedding ceremony was a lavish affair that turned out to be a gathering of American billionaire businessmen. In fact, Bill’s best man was none other than his brother, David Koch who is also a billionaire.

One notable fact about Bridget and Bill’s union is the fact that Bill is older than his wife by 22 years. However, that has not had any negative effect on their union. Bridget now wishes to be addressed as Bridget Rooney Koch.

Who is Bridget Rooney’ Husband, Bill Koch

Born in the United States on May 3rd, 1940, Bill is listed as an American billionaire businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder of the popular energy development firm called, Oxbow Group where he occupies the position of Chief Executive officer. He equally owns Oxbow Carbon Corp – a petroleum coke and sulfur products firm

Apart from his big business empire, Bill is also listed as a sailor and collector. He is the biological brother of Charles Koch – the Chief Executive Officer of Koch Industries. According to Forbes reports in 2023, Bill has a massive net worth of $1.6 billion and he invests in politics too.

As a philanthropist, Bill has made huge donations to several charitable organizations in the US. Notable among them are Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound which received the sum of $1.5 million from him. Restore Our Future also got $2 million from Bill.

Known for lavish spending, Bridget Rooney’s husband purchased a 130-year-old photo in June 2011 worth $2.4 million.

The couple is Enjoying an Enduring Relationship

From what is obvious, Bridget Rooney and her husband Bill Koch have a happy and enduring relationship. While their union has lasted 18 long years, the couple has spent over two decades in their relationship, counting from the time they met.

Despite the fact that they are decades apart in age, Bridget and Bill blend so well in the relationship and this is due to the fact that they have so much in common. They don’t just come from privileged backgrounds, the two love to live a lavish life.

They have been severally photographed holidaying on scenic destinations. Years after they got married, the couple were spotted at Le Cirque drinking a 1996 Cheval Blanc while eating an ultra-choice Japanese pure-bred beef; the beet was said to have come from Bill’s Colorado-based 7X Ranch.

The couple has a Palm Beach, Florida home sitting on a 42,000 square foot oceanfront mega-manse where they threw a lavish party in 2012 to commemorate Bridget’s birthday. Bill seems to be the kind of man that makes his wife’s every wish come true; he actually brought Roar singer Katy Perry to perform at the party.

Bridget has confessed that she gets a lot of pampering from her husband. There was a time Bill went on a shopping spree for his wife and came home with a multi-million dollar worth 1941 painting of three half-nude women just to impress Bridget. She has the precious painting hanging in their South Ocean Boulevard mansion.

Another lavish gift he purchased for Bridget was a double two-foot-tall silver centerpiece. According to history, the centerpieces were made by Queen Victoria’s silversmiths in 1860. The property was bought at the price of $240,000 from an English dealer. The couple showcases this at their dining table.

Bridget Rooney has Two children 

As earlier mentioned, her first child is Liam Costner whom she had with Kevin Costner. Liam is quite unlike his half-siblings who have followed their father into the entertainment industry as actor and musician. Rather, he is part of the real estate industry, working at Frankel-Bell Realty as an agent. Nothing much is known about Liam as he loves to live his life away from the limelight.

After Bridget tied the nuptials with Bill in 2005, she became a second-time mother to her only daughter, Kaitlin Koch, in 2006. Kaitlin is attending Oxbridge Academy – a private tertiary institution founded by her father. She joggles her academics with her profession as a professional ice skater. On the 30th of November 2018, she was among the performers at Come Fly With Me! – a Palm Beach Ice Works presentation.

Apart from her biological children, Bridget Rooney steps in as a stepmother to Bill Koch’s children, including William Jr., Robin, Charlotte, and Wyatt Koch.

What Does Kevin Costner’s Ex-girlfriend do for a Living?

The Californian native is listed as an actress, socialite, businesswoman, and philanthropist. At the time she first crossed paths with her baby daddy, Kevin Costner, Bridget was working in paid employment. According to a 1996 NYM article, she was then a staff of an Aspen-based regional television network but the position she held and the number of years she spent with the firm is not known.

As an actress, Rooney has ever only appeared in one production. She was part of the cast of the movie entitled Zombie or Not Zombie in 2011. As a businesswoman, the American heiress helps her husband, Bill Kosch, in running – Oxbridge Academy, an institution of higher learning which he founded in the US. Husband and wife are also into charitable works.

Bridget is a known American socialite and loves to attend upper-class parties, however, the first reason why her name hit the airwaves is her association with A-list actor Kevin Costner.