What You Need to Know About Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner’s Chaotic Divorce: Their Co-owned Property, Child Support, and More

Kevin Costner’s divorce from estranged wife Christine Baumgartner got off to a messy start.

The duo tied the knot in September 2004. Nearly 19 years later, Us Weekly confirmed in May 2023 that Baumgartner had filed for divorce from the Oscar winner, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for their split.

“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,” a rep for Costner said in a statement to TMZ at the time. “We ask that his, Christine’s, and their children’s privacy be respected as they navigate this difficult time.”

Costner met Baumgartner on a golf course in the ‘90s while he was preparing to play a professional golfer in the 1996 film Tin Cup. Following his 1994 split from ex-wife Cindy Silva — with whom he shares kids Annie, Lily and Joe — Costner began dating the California native in 1999. They went on to welcome sons Cayden and Hayes and daughter Grace. (The Molly’s Game actor also shares son Liam with ex Bridget Rooney.)

More than a decade after tying the knot, Costner told Closer Weekly in June 2018 that he and Baumgartner briefly split before their wedding day. “Fear kept me from marrying Christine,” he explained at the time. “[She] wanted a child, but I was afraid I couldn’t be an effective father.”

He continued: “I woke up and thought, ‘Am I going to lose a beautiful woman who is willing to be with me to my very last breath because I am afraid to say yes to a child?’ That’s all it took. Sometimes you learn the thing you’re most afraid of will save your life.”

Shortly before their separation, the couple were set to attend the 2023 Golden Globes, at which Costner won for Best Television Actor in a Drama Series, but severe flooding in California prevented them from being able to travel for the awards ceremony.

“Nobody’s sadder than us that we can’t be there at the Golden Globes,” the Dances with Wolves star said in a January 2023 Instagram video. “Chris had a beautiful dress, I was looking forward to walking down the red carpet with her.”

Following Baumgartner’s divorce filing, a source exclusively told Us that Costner was “deeply saddened” by their breakup but was working to try to “save his marriage.” The insider added: “Kevin loves his wife and children so this has been very hard on him. He is saying that this is his worst nightmare and he would do anything for his family.”

A second source revealed that the Hidden Figures actor was “blindsided” by the split, noting, “Everyone thought Kevin and his wife were super happy so it’s all surprising. He truly loves her and is trying to get her back.”

Baumgartner, meanwhile, was experiencing her own roller-coaster of emotions. “Christine feels he should be the one to go,” another source told Us in June 2023, referring to Baumgartner’s decision to remain in her and Costner’s shared home despite their prenup stating she has 30 days to vacate the property. “She’s so angry with Kevin for what she feels led to the end of their marriage — him putting work ahead of the family.”

Scroll below for all the details on Costner and Baumgartner’s ongoing divorce:

Although Baumgartner filed for divorce in May 2023, court documents obtained by Us reveal that the pair actually split one month prior. Costner, for his part, filed a response in May 2023, which mentioned that he and the Cat Bag Couture founder signed a prenuptial agreement before their wedding.

Amid news of their separation, the handbag designer was spotted without her wedding ring in Los Angeles in photos obtained by the Daily Mail.

“Christine wasn’t happy with Yellowstone‘s schedule delays because it caused him to miss so much time with his family,” an insider told Us in May 2023, claiming that the Paramount+ series — which premiered in 2018 — was “one of the reasons” for the duo’s split.

The source continued: “[Costner] was on the fence about doing the show from the beginning. He had to be convinced to do the project. There were months of discussions with Kevin and his family before he did it. He didn’t want do the show without their input.”

According to the insider, delays on the second half of Yellowstone‘s fifth and final season “led to a lot of problems” between the estranged spouses. “Kevin’s team even asked about the possibility of moving the show to California so he could film certain scenes,” the source noted. “It’s been a discussion through the years, but it never worked out. Kevin has been making a lot of effort to make it work for his family.”

Baumgartner reportedly argued in June 2023 court docs that she “did not pressure Kevin to leave the Yellowstone show.”

According to court documents obtained by Us in June 2023, Costner stated that his estranged wife withdrew $95,000 from his bank account and charged his credit card without his knowledge or consent. The funds were allegedly used to pay her divorce attorneys and a forensic accountant.

In a filing obtained by Us in July 2023, Costner explained that he had no choice but to lower his ex-wife's credit card limit to $30,000 per month due to her excessive spending. He referred to this decision as a reasonable limitation.

In June 2023, Costner claimed in legal paperwork that Baumgartner was refusing to move out of their shared home, violating their prenuptial agreement which stated that she had 30 days to vacate the property following their separation. He believed she was using the situation to manipulate him financially. However, Costner mentioned that he was willing to contribute $30,000 per month for a rental house as part of his child support obligations and offer an additional $10,000 for her moving costs.

In court documents obtained by Insider in June 2023, Baumgartner's lawyer, John Rydell, stated that Costner did not have a legal right to force her to leave their home. He emphasized the importance of the matter to Christine despite the lack of legal grounds for Kevin's request.

Baumgartner also claimed in court documents obtained by Us in June 2023 that she had no personal income, making it impossible for her to find alternative housing. She expressed her understanding that she would eventually have to move out with their children but lacked sufficient funds to secure a suitable home that would maintain their current standards of living.

A judge denied Baumgartner's request to remain on the property until August 2023, as confirmed by court documents in July 2023.

Reportedly, Baumgartner moved out of the couple's home in late July 2023, shortly before the court-ordered deadline. Prior to her departure, the exes disputed the division of household items, even down to kitchen utensils. In court documents filed in July 2023, Baumgartner claimed that Costner was concerned she would take too many pots and pans.

Baumgartner requested $248,000 per month in child support, stating that this amount was necessary to maintain their children's accustomed lifestyle. She also asked that Costner be solely responsible for their kids' private school education, healthcare expenses, and fees related to extracurricular activities and sports. However, she did not mention any requests for spousal support.

In June 2023 court documents obtained by Us, Baumgartner disclosed that Costner earned an estimated $1,537,000 per month from his various professions as an actor and director. She noted that although he had continued to cover their expenses since their separation, he had not made it easy for her to pay for things.

Costner denied allegations that he was evicting his children from their home in June 2023 court documents obtained by Us. He clarified that he was only requesting that Christine vacate his separate property home and find alternative living arrangements.

In subsequent documents obtained by Us, Costner explained that his earnings would be significantly lower in 2023 compared to 2022 as he was no longer under contract for Yellowstone. As a result, he claimed that he could not afford to pay the $248,000 per month in child support that Baumgartner requested.

A month later, For News reported that Baumgartner would receive $129,755 per month in child support from Costner. Additionally, Costner would pay $200,000 and $100,000 in attorneys' fees and forensic costs respectively. The duo would share equal expenses for their children's healthcare, activities, and sports, with payments made between July 1 and July 12.

In a June 2023 filing, Baumgartner provided details about the family's finances and household expenses. She revealed that Costner earned $19,517,064 in 2022, and their expenses totaled $6,645,285 (excluding taxes). Household help cost $84,040, education for their children Hayes and Grace amounted to $78,780, gifts totaled $830,000, and medical costs reached $238,000.

Baumgartner claimed that Costner recently deposited $1 million into an account set up in her name “without my knowledge or consent.” She alleged that the deposit was a way for her estranged spouse to “force my concession that the spousal support limitation is valid by virtue of my ‘acceptance’ of these funds. 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.”

She stated that she has chosen not to accept the payment — which now includes an additional $400,000. “I cannot access these funds without risk of jeopardizing my legal rights in this case. Except for the contested funds, I have almost no financial assets to my name and zero personal income,” the docs read.

She further insisted that Costner’s recent deposits would not cover her and their kids’ continued costs as outlined in the paperwork. Baumgartner explained that the family’s multiple homes — including their Aspen property and Santa Barbara compound — cost more than $1.5 million in 2022 to upkeep. Their Beach Club costs — which includes the Santa Barbara guest house rental, gym and yard — are an additional $449,202.

Costner, for his part, alleged in a separate filing in June 2023 that Baumgartner spends 60 percent of her child support money toward her own personal expenses, including a private trainer and $188,000 — monthly — on plastic surgery.

Rumors surfaced in June 2023 that Baumgartner allegedly hooked up with her and Costner’s former tenant Daniel Starr — who previously resided in a home on their Santa Barbara property. While Baumgartner has yet to comment, Starr told TMZ the rumors were “absolutely not” true. He insisted that he is “just a guy who paid [his] rent.”

Starr explained that he left early — he vacated the premises in March 2023 despite having a contract through June 2023 — because he “had to move on.” When pushed further about his dynamic with the estranged couple, Starr told the outlet, “I just was a tenant. I had a tenant-landlord relationship [with them]. Nothing else.”

Baumgartner claimed Costner told their kids about the split via Zoom, alleging that she told her estranged spouse how “important” it was to “tell the children in person and together” but Costner allegedly “disregarded” her request.

“He insisted that he had the right to tell them that we were getting divorced ‘first’ and tell them privately ‘without me present,’” Baumgartner recalled in the filing. “After a 24-year relationship, from his hotel room in Las Vegas, Kevin told our three children that we were getting divorced over a 10-minute Zoom call without me present.” She revealed that she is “still confused by his motivation to do this via a very short Zoom session, especially since he was planning on being home five days later. He also could have easily come home from Las Vegas to have the conversation in person.”