All The Details About Kevin Costner And Christine Baumgartner's Divorce
Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner's divorce after two decades of marriage gas quickly turned into a messy, bitter battle. TMZ reported that when Costner was hit with a divorce filing by his second wife, he was heartbroken. "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," the "Yellowstone" star's rep announced.
The sudden end of Costner's marriage apparently came as a complete shock to the actor, who was left reeling by Baumgartner's filing. The couple shares three kids together, sons Cayden, 15, ad Hayes, 14, and daughter Grace, 12. "He obviously doesn't want the divorce, and he would take her back," a source told Page Six. "It's disappointing, he loves her, and he loves his children."
So what when wrong? Here are all the details about Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner's divorce.
The bombshell
TMZ was the first to break the news of Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner's divorce. She filed to end their 18-year marriage on May 1, citing "irreconcilable differences" and requested joint custody of their children. Kevin asked for the same in his response filing.
It's the second divorce for "Waterworld" star Kevin Costner. Per People, he was previously married to his high school sweetheart, Cindy Silva, for 16 years. The couple welcomed three kids, Annie, Lily, and Joe Costner, before splitting in 1994.
Kevin and Silva didn't have a prenup, which cost him dearly. The actor reportedly shelled out $80 million in his first divorce settlement. Not surprisingly, he was left more than a little reluctant to walk down the aisle for a second time. "My faith was shaken," Kevin told The Hollywood Reporter. "No one wants their marriage to end, and it did. You are going to see the people you love most, your children, only half as much. That's a huge loss."
It's all about priorities
Why did Christine Baumgartner file for divorce? California is a no-fault state, and the only reasons you can cite on divorce papers are "irreconcilable differences" and "permanent legal incapacity to make decisions," per Renkin Law. So, there were no clues in the legal documents. However, information has been leaking out since the filing.
An insider blamed Costner's work-life imbalance for Baumgartner throwing in the towel. "Christine wants them to spend family time at their Santa Barbara home," they told People. "During filming, Kevin is not around very much. His absence has been very hard for her." According to Radar, Baumgartner gave Costner an ultimatum in October 2022 — either he quit his hugely popular Western drama, "Yellowstone," or she would quit him. "It's really knocked a hole in their family life," a source said. "She wants a firm commitment; this is his last season — or he might have to hit the dusty trail!"
However, another source insisted that Costner's new project, "Horizon" was the bone of contention. "Christine doesn't want him to throw himself into another project," they told People. "He has been obsessed with filming 'Horizon' since last year. She wasn't happy about it.
If you build it, they won't leave...
According to TMZ, things took a turn for the worse between Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner after she refused to move out of the family house with the kids. As part of their prenup agreement, she had 30 days from the date of filing for divorce to vacate the home. But she's steadfastly staying put.
Costner filed court documents in June demanding that the court force Baumgartner and their kids to leave. He claimed that her refusal to is just a ploy to try and squeeze more money out of him and that he's already paid her $1.45 million as per their prenup. However, according to Insider, Baumgartner's attorney argues that it's unfair for Costner to "kick Christine and their three children out of the house that the children have lived in for their entire lives."
They insist that the "legal basis for Kevin's request [is all but nonexistent and yet] is still a matter of critical importance for Christine."
Homeless and heartless claims
Christine Baumgartner fought against Kevin Costner's demand that she vacate the family home with their three kids. "Kevin is trying to force my concession that the spousal support limitation is valid by virtue of my 'acceptance' of these funds," she claimed in court documents (via the Daily Mail). "I believe that Kevin's goal is to get me to tap into this money so he can argue that I've waived my right to challenge the premarital agreement." Baumgartner also accused Costner of trying to make their kids homeless.
A lawyer unraveled Costner's side of Baumgartner's harsh divorce claims. "When a parent is the primary caregiver to children, and the children's needs are not anticipated in a premarital agreement because they were not born yet, then the children's needs for stability and their effective kick out under the terms of the premarital agreement would be a reason to refuse to abide by the premarital agreement," family law attorney Holly Davis told Nicki Swift exclusively.
Meanwhile, per the Daily Mail, Costner's attorneys immediately shot down Baumgartner's allegations of making his kids homeless. They pointed out that as the couple has joint custody, the children would spend half of their time at the house.
Show me the money
Christine Baumgartner finally agreed to leave Kevin Costner's sprawling Santa Barbara estate—on one very expensive condition. Per People, the mom-of-three said she'll go if Costner agrees to pay her $248,000 monthly in child support.
In court documents, Baumgartner claimed that a quarter of a million dollars "is less than the amount needed to maintain the children in their accustomed lifestyle." Baumgartner's financial support calculations include the cost of regular trips to the Caribbean, Hawaii, and Aspen and paying for private chefs to cater at dinner parties. She also demanded that Costner pay 100% of the fees to cover the kids' private-school tuition, extracurricular activities/sports, and health-care expenses.
The Insider reports that Costner hit back, claiming his estranged wife was "fundamentally dishonest" with her "inflated costs." He also alleged that Baumgartner spent $188,000 a month on plastic surgery procedures last year—which begs the question, how is that even possible? He asked the court to dismiss her demand, insisting that $248,000 a month far exceeds the amount needed to support their kids.