Singer Jewel, 49, gushes that Kevin Costner, 69, is a 'great person' as she finally breaks her silence on their romance - but admits she finds 'public fascination' with them 'intense'

Singer Jewel has gushed that her rumored boyfriend Kevin Costner is a 'great person' - but admitted that she's found the public's 'fascination' with their relationship 'intense.'

It was first revealed that the musician, 49, and the Yellowstone actor, 69, were dating back in November - six months after he split from his longtime wife, Christine Baumgartner.

While, the pair has stayed mum about their romance so far, the artist has now spoken out about it for the first time while chatting with Elle magazine.

'He’s a great person,' she told the publication as she blushed. '[But] the public fascination is intense for sure.'

The couple were first linked over Thanksgiving last year, when they were spotted getting cozy on a private island in the Caribbean together.

'There was definitely something going on. They were flirty, and when they were together, it was like they both just lit up,' an onlooker told TMZ at the time.

'You could tell they were trying to be discreet, but anybody who saw them could tell something was going on.'

Photos from the vacation showed Jewel sitting on the star's lap as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

Jewel's son Kase, 12, whom she had with ex-husband Ty Murray, seemed to be on the trip as well as he was seen on the beach with the star in her Instagram photos. 

A source told DailyMail.com afterwards that the pair had their mutual friend Richard Branson to thank for their blossoming romance, after the billionaire invited them both to his private island.

The insider said she fell for the actor's 'country western vibe' during the trip, but added that while they are 'having fun,' they are not 'serious.'

A separate source also said that Kevin's ex Christine was not surprised that he had moved on so quickly - but was glad it was with Jewel and not some 'fame-seeking bimbo.'

'She said she's happy for him, but it still isn't a great feeling seeing your ex with someone new,' the friend added.

It was said that the 68-year-old actor was 'blindsided' when his 49-year-old wife of 19 years filed for divorce in May.

In the months that followed, they became embroiled in a nasty legal war, but it came to an end in September.

The former couple - who share three children: Cayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 13 - both sought joint custody of their three children and Christineis receiving $63,209 a month in child support from her ex.

DailyMail.com exclusively revealed in January that Christine had moved with Kevin's banker buddy Josh Connor.

Afterwards, a source told Us Weekly that Kevin had long suspected that 'something was going on between Christine and Josh,' adding that their 'close [bond] was a real elephant in the room.'

As well as speaking out about her relationship with Kevin, Jewel touched upon several more painful topics during her conversation with Elle, namely her rocky ties to her parents. 

Last year, the singer claimed that her estranged mother Lenedra had embezzled more than $100 million from her music career earnings, leaving her broke and in brutal debt by the age of 34.  

Speaking about their estrangement, Jewel said that she does not believe she will ever have a relationship with her mom, telling the publication that she feels she can 'heal' without experiencing a 'movie moment where [her mother] comes back and apologizes'. 

However, the chart-topper - who appeared on-stage alongside Gen Z singing sensation Olivia Rodrigo on the last night of her tour run at Madison Square Garden - says she has taken steps to mend the rift with her father, who she has previously accused of being an 'alcoholic' and an 'abuser'. 

'My dad was this volatile alcoholic that hit me, very easy to identify "bad guy,"' she said during a podcast interview in March 2023. 

'My mom seemed like the opposite. She was calm, she was soft, she never yelled, obviously never hit me. And I didn't realize I was being abused in another way at the time.' 

Now, Jewel says her father is working on his sobriety, while adding that she has since learned more about her dad's own troubled childhood, which has given her more understanding of the way he behaved during her youth. 

'Learning about my dad’s childhood, I could not believe how well he raised us,' she told Elle.