Faded love?

Are Kevin and Christine Costner headed down the Boulevard of Broken Dreams?

It's starting to look that way. The ritual pre-breakup denials have already begun:

Kevin Costner tells "The Insider" not to believe any reports that he and wife Christine Baumgartner may be splitting up.

A rep for the star released the following statement today, "The story is false. They sold their house in Hollywood, and they are moving to Santa Barbara. Kevin is on location and Christine is getting the house ready.

Christine Costner is on her way to Shreveport where Kevin Costner is shooting 'Mr. Brooks.' They'll both then go to Providence, RI, for daughter Annie's graduation from Brown University. The Costners will then head back to Los Angeles where Kevin will continue to help Christine with the move. After that, Kevin will go back and finish shooting the remaining several weeks of 'Mr. Brooks.' "

As I noted earlier, Mrs. Costner didn't accompany her husband to the recent BMW Charity Pro-Am golf tournament in South Carolina (an event she'd attended with him in past years).

It's also curious that an ex-girlfriend of Costner's, Birgit Cunningham—rather than Christine—would rally to his defense in the imbroglio with the Scottish masseuse.

Expect the separation to be announced well before Kevin plays his next pro-am golf tournament.