Kevin Costner, Christine Baumgartner settle divorce after contentious court battle
Kevin Costner and his former wife Christine Baumgartner have reached a divorce settlement, following a months-long battle in court.
“Kevin and Christine Costner have come to an amicable and mutually agreed upon resolution of all issues pertaining to their divorce proceedings,” a representative for Costner and Baumgartner told The Times in a statement Tuesday. The details of the settlement were not immediately disclosed. Costner’s attorney, Laura Wasser, whose clients include Britney Spears and Kim Kardashian, did not respond to requests for comment.
Baumgartner filed for divorce in May in Santa Barbara County Superior Court, seeking an end to her 18-year marriage with Costner. Both sought joint custody of their three children — Cayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 13. Despite their prenuptial agreement, what followed was a contentious legal battle as the pair traded jabs in court over how much Costner would pay in child support.
In new court filings, Christine Baumgartner asked her now-estranged partner Kevin Costner to provide significant child support and criticized his decision to tell their children of their divorce over Zoom.
In a May court filing obtained by NBC News, Baumgartner asked that the “Yellowstone” star provide $248,000 a month in child support, to help cover the cost of their kids’ private school education and healthcare, among other expenses. The former fashion designer noted that Costner makes millions and that she had been a stay-at-home mom since the birth of her first son and currently has no income.
Costner‘s attorney countered by saying the star owed $63,000 each month, according to Insider. The judge agreed and ordered the actor to pay that amount. The outlet also reported that Costner had given Baumgartner $300,000 in July to help cover fees for attorneys and experts. She went on to request an additional $800,000 to cover more expenses.
In July, a judge had to order Baumgartner to leave the family’s Carpinteria beachfront compound after she refused to do so. Costner had provided $200,000 to help cover moving costs, as spelled out in their prenuptial agreement, and offered to pay for additional expenses, according to NBC News. The prenup also required her to leave their home within 30 days of their split.
‘Yellowstone’ star Kevin Costner and his wife, handbag designer Christine Baumgartner, are ending their 18-year marriage.
Baumgartner and Costner reportedly first met on a golf course in the 1990s when Costner was rehearsing for his role in the 1996 film “Tin Cup.” The actor was married to his first wife at the time and didn’t start dating Baumgartner until 1999.
The couple split briefly in 2003 — Baumgartner wanted to have children and Costner wasn’t sure he should have more — but the two ultimately worked it out, tied the knot in Aspen, Colo., in 2004, and welcomed three children over the next several years.
This is the second divorce for the 68-year-old Costner. The “Dances With Wolves” star was previously married to Cindy Silva. Their 16-year marriage ended in 1994, and according to Forbes, the divorce was one of the most expensive in Hollywood history, with Silva receiving an estimated $80-million settlement.
‘Yellowstone’ star Kevin Costner addressed his departure from the Taylor Sheridan series at a child support hearing last week and explained why he left the hit show.
Times staff writers Carlos De Loera and Emily St. Martin contributed to this report.
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