Did actor Kevin Costner really want to get a divorce from his estranged wife, Christine Baumgartner?
According to new legal documents, obtained by The Blast, the situation is called into question how much the "Yellowstone" actor really wanted to divorce his estranged wife.
The couple tied the knot in 2004 and called it quits in May 2023 after approximately 18 years of marriage.
In a letter, which is one of the exhibits in a court filing, it appears that the 68-year-old actor might not want to have pulled the plug on his almost two-decade-long marriage after all. The actor’s lawyer makes it sound like she wanted the divorce, while he wanted to try to salvage their relationship.
“Please be advised and advise your client that the separation she initiated and has indicated must move to a divorce is not something Mr. Costner desires,” Kevin’s lawyer wrote in the court filing. Adding, “For your client to now be in breach of the document upon which Mr. Costner relied in entering into the marriage is disheartening.”
Saying that divorce is “not something Mr. Costner desires” is interesting language, considering the actor has been accused of letting their three children – Cayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 13 – know that he and his estranged wife were getting a divorce via a ten-minute zoom call, at least according to Christine.
In November 2022, Kevin had nothing but positive things to say about his wife in an interview with People magazine. "My wife does things that just completely... It just helps. The house is prettier because of her. Everything is warmer because of her,” he said at the time. “There's these little things that she does and I think it's the power of love, but that she makes her home that way."
However, less than a year later, Christine filed for divorce from the “Field of Dreams” actor. She listed April 11 as their date of separation and cited irreconcilable differences for the split.
In early May, an insider told the outlet that the actor did not want a divorce. "It was not anything that he wanted or sought, and if he could change the situation, he would," the source said at the time.
In the statement announcing their split, a rep for the "Dances With Wolves" actor wrote: "It is with great sadness that circumstances beyond his control have transpired which have resulted in Mr. Costner having to participate in a dissolution of marriage action."
Under the terms of the couple’s prenup, it looks like Christine is entitled to a settlement of $1.4 million; however, she is also asking for “248,000 total for all three children” per month. In a court filing dated June 16, Christine says that the number “is less than the amount needed to maintain the children in their accustomed lifestyle.”
In addition to paying almost $250,000 per month, she is also asking that the actor pay their private school tuition in full, as well as provide for their healthcare and finance their recreational activities, such as hobbies and sports. She did not note any spousal support in her filing.
On Wednesday, Costner’s legal team pushed back against the figure, claiming that "Christine allocates 60% of expenses such as private trainer, unallocated credit-card expenses, and her plastic surgery to the minor children without any explanation or basis. The children do not use the services of private trainers, only Christine does."
His legal team also alleged that Christine had plastic surgery expenses that totaled $188,500 per month. They noted that it was not the minor children, but Christine, who was receiving these services. "Christine should know which credit-card expenses were for her and which were for the children, but not even a minimal effort is made to allocate them accurately," the filing read.
At this point, Christine says in the new court filing that she is willing to vacate the couple's massive beachfront property in Santa Barbara, but wants to establish the financial support..... first.
