Skip to main contentSkip to footer

Kevin Costner speaks out on ex Christine Baumgartner's divorce 'tactics' amid bitter court battle

The Yellowstone actor and his wife of 18 years have been at odds over their divorce since May 1


HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 27: Christine Baumgartner and Kevin Costner attend the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on March 27, 2022 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)
Beatriz Colon
Beatriz Colon - New York
Online News WriterNew York
On 14 August 2023
Share this:

Kevin Costner isn't shying away from expressing his disappointment in how his divorce from estranged wife Christine Baumgartner has played out in court.

The Yellowstone actor and his wife were married for 18 years before Christine filed for divorce in May, and a bitter legal battle ensued.

The former couple have been at odds over a myriad of issues pertaining to their prenuptial agreement, including over child support and their residential properties.

WATCH: Kevin Costner stars as John Dutton in Yellowstone

Now, in new court documents first obtained by Entertainment Tonight, the acrimony between the two has been further unveiled.

In the documents, the father-of-seven accused his soon-to-be ex-wife of "stalling tactics" to drag out their divorce proceedings, which have been ongoing for over three months.

MORE: Kevin Costner's ex Christine Baumgartner moves into luxury $35K-per-month rental amid messy divorce

According to Kevin's legal team, Christine is claiming that she didn't properly understand their prenup when she signed it ahead of their 2003 wedding, and they in turn have called it "gamesmanship of the worst sort."

 Kevin Costner and Christine on the red carpet in 2022© Getty
Kevin and Christine were married for 18 years

One of their most argued stipulations of the prenup was their agreement that should Christine file for divorce, she would have 30 days from the date filed to move out of their shared home, which prior to their split, was a 1.4-acre cliffside property in Santa Barbara.

MORE: Kevin Costner and his kids reunite for Aspen vacation amid his divorce battle

MORE: Is Kevin Costner's role in Yellowstone season five part two in jeopardy?

The Dancing with Wolves director is the sole owner of the home, and in court documents previously obtained by Insider, he maintained: "When Christine and I began discussing marriage in 2003, I made it clear to her that I would not marry again without clarity that my separate property residences would remain mine to live in no matter what happened in our marriage."

Kevin Costner's mini town© Backgrid
Kevin also owns a home in Aspen

He noted: "I was married before, and upon separation, I found myself without a home base and unable to live in my own home," adding: "I never wanted this to happen again. Because of the nature of my work, I am frequently out of town; it is therefore particularly important to me that when I am home, I have a home to go to."

In turn, Christine maintained that she would not move out of the home until Kevin agreed to pay her requested $248,000 per month in child support, for their kids Cayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 13.

Kevin Costner with first wife Cindy Silva© Getty
Kevin was previously married to Cindy Silva

That request also received ire from Kevin, who described it as "highly inflated and unsubstantiated," and claimed: "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."

Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner with their three children © Getty
The former couple have three kids together

He added: "Providing the minor children with more than bare necessities does not require providing ludicrous extravagance designed to primarily benefit the supported parent."

MORE: Kevin Costner accuses ex Christine Baumgartner of stealing from their home – details

Kevin Costner and his wife Christine arrive on the red carpet for the premiere of Touchstone Picture's "Swing Vote,"  on July 24, 2008 at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California© Getty
Kevin and Christine first met on a golf course in the early '90s

The initial stipulation on their prenup allotted $38,000 a month in child support from Kevin, and after he gave a counter offer of $123,620 to Christine's $248,000, a judge ordered him to pay $129,000 a month instead.

Though Kevin and Christine's divorce battle still appears to be far from over, Christine was ordered by a judge to move out of the property by July 31 – she argued for August 31 and Kevin for July 13 – and moving trucks were spotted ahead of the deadline at both the Santa Barbara residence and later at another one of Kevin's residences not far from it.

Get the lowdown on the biggest, hottest celebrity news, features and profiles coming out of the U.S.  Sign up to our HELLO! Hollywood newsletterand get them delivered straight to your inbox. 

More Celebrity News

See more