Christine Baumgartner Wields Child Custody as Leverage in Costner Divorce Showdown
Christine Baumgartner, the estranged spouse of actor Kevin Costner, appears determined to dismantle the terms of her prenuptial agreement in a bid to secure a significant portion of the 'Yellowstone' star's estimated $500 million net worth. Such a settlement would dwarf the $80 million Costner previously paid to his first wife, Cindy.
After 18 years of marriage, the 49-year-old former model and handbag designer is laying bare the couple's financial dealings and lifestyle, putting a public spotlight on the affluent actor. An insider suggested that Baumgartner is leveraging the couple's three children – Cayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 13 – to bolster her claims. She asserts they are entitled to an astounding 60% of Costner's wealth, equivalent to a staggering $300 million.
The source explained, "She is using their children as a battering ram against Kevin." This strategy, according to them, puts Costner in a tough spot where refusing would make him seem uncaring.
Baumgartner's court documents paint Costner as unfeeling, claiming that he broke the divorce news to their children without her via a short Zoom call from his Las Vegas hotel room. The filing also reveals that Costner earned a whopping $19.5 million last year, with family expenses reaching $6.6 million, including $800,000 in charitable donations and over $500,000 on gardening services.
Simultaneously, Baumgartner is seeking an imposing $248,000 per month in child support. She claims this is "less than the amount needed to maintain the children in their accustomed lifestyle," which she approximates to be $332,264 a month, though state guidelines suggest $150,000 a month.
Costner, who already has a 27-year-old son from a past relationship, is denying rumors that he fathered a child with a crew member from 'Yellowstone', labeling such talk as "total BS."
Meanwhile, Costner recently asked tech entrepreneur Daniel Starr to vacate the beachfront guest house he rented on Costner's Santa Barbara estate, following suspicions of a close relationship between Starr and Baumgartner.
Costner alleges he upheld his part of the prenuptial agreement by providing $1.4 million when divorce documents were filed, including a $400,000 initial payment. He proposes an additional $30,000 monthly rental house allowance, $10,000 in moving costs, child support payments, and a $200,000 new home deposit.
However, Baumgartner is not ready to relocate, suggesting that doing so might weaken her stance on challenging the prenup. The insider stated, "Christine believes she was a great wife and a loving mother throughout their marriage. She believes Kevin is worth more than a half billion dollars, and that he is to blame for the breakdown of their marriage — and he’s going to have to pay for that.”
As the prospect of a complex divorce looms, a friend of Costner's noted, "He fears it’s going to damage his reputation forever."