The end of Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner’s 18-year union has been rocky! After the 49-year-old officially filed for divorce from the Yellowstone actor in May, their impending legal battle has continued to make headlines.
Following the shocking news, insiders close to Costner revealed he was blindsided by Baumgartner making the first move to end their union after her husband’s work kept him away from their family. “Kevin was very surprised by Christine’s actions, he obviously doesn’t want the divorce, and he would take her back,” the source explained. “It’s disappointing.”
Despite being heartbroken, friends of the estranged couple — who share children Cayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 12 — warned the split could get nasty. “Kevin’s worth more than $250 million, and that’s not even counting his Yellowstone fortune,” a second insider explained. “If Christine doesn’t get what she wants, it could get very contentious.”
And that it did! In June, The Guardian star accused the mother of his children of taking thousands from his bank account without his authorization. “Since April 2023, Christine has withdrawn from my bank account and charged on my credit card a total of $95,000, payable to her divorce attorney and forensic accountant,” Costner alleged in court papers. “This was done without any prior notice to me.”
The 68-year-old also accused Baumgartner of wanting more in child support to use it to pay for plastic surgery. “He has already paid $95,000 towards Christine’s attorney’s and accountant’s fees. Both parties request joint legal and joint physical custody of their children. The parties have agreed, in concept, to equal custody of their three children. They are currently working out a visitation schedule for the summer to ensure a smooth transition for the parties’ children,” legal papers stated.
According to Costner, the fashion designer has refused to move out of their marital home despite the patriarch offering to give her money to purchase a new place. “Kevin simply asks that Christine honor her commitments to him, by moving out of his separate property home,” the documents claimed. “He has offered financial assistance to ease the transition. He has made a comprehensive child support and fee proposal.”