Kevin Costner claims his estranged wife Christine Baumgartner ‘grasps at straws’ to avoid vacating his $145M mansion in Santa Barbara amid bitter divorce
Kevin Costner recently filed a court document requesting that Christine Baumgartner vacate his home.
Through his legal team, the 68-year-old actor stated in court documents filed on June 30 that his estranged wife, 49, continues to avoid doing so with ‘one baseless argument after another’.
In the files obtained by People, the two-time Oscar winner also said his wife ‘grasps at straws’ with excuses before giving her the final deadline of July 13 to leave his mansion in Santa Barbara.
He also alleged that Baumgartner — who fled Los Angeles over the weekend with two of their children — charged more than $100,000 to one of his credit cards that he had to reduce the limit of and ultimately cancel.
Amid their acrimonious divorce battle, the handbag designer had previously expressed her agreement to vacate his $145 million mansion with the condition of him paying her extra support.
Bitter battle: Kevin Costner recently filed a court document requesting that Christine Baumgartner vacate his home. Through his legal team, the 68-year-old actor stated in court documents filed on June 30 that his estranged wife, 49, continues to avoid doing so with ‘one baseless argument after another’
Baumgartner had filed for divorce from The Bodyguard alum earlier on May 1. And in her prenuptial agreement, there was a clause that Costner claimed requires her to leave within 30 days — which has since passed since the time of the filing.
With the document, the Yellowstone star ‘respectfully requests that Christine be ordered to vacate his separate property residence forthwith and no later than July 13, 2023.’
‘Christine can afford to move,’ the memorandum also read.
‘She has at her disposal almost $1,500,000 in cash to find alternate housing,’ the document read while referring to the amount from their prenuptial agreement that he claims he paid her.
‘Multiple 4-bedroom, 4-bathroom lovely homes are presently available, located in close proximity to Kevin’s separate property residence,’ it continued. ‘Kevin made multiple offers to assist her in relocating.’
In the new court documents, Costner also confirmed that he paid Baumgartner the previously promised expenses — $10,000 for the move as well as $30,000 per month toward a rental home — for her to vacate.
‘I offered her the full use of household staff to assist in making the move, and I offered to pay her now the additional $200,000 I owe her under the PMA in cash, rather than as a down-payment towards her purchase of a home,’ he said in the document.
‘I also told her that I would continue to pay 100% of the children’s expenses since she filed for divorce, and I have done so.’
New memorandum: In the files obtained by People, the two-time Oscar winner also said his wife ‘grasps at straws’ with excuses before giving her the final deadline of July 13 to leave his mansion in Santa Barbara. He also alleged that Baumgartner — who fled Los Angeles over the weekend with two of their children — charged more than $100,000 to one of his credit cards that he had to reduce the limit of and ultimately cancel
New claims: In the new court documents, Costner also confirmed that he paid Baumgartner the previously promised expenses — $10,000 for the move as well as $30,000 per month toward a rental home — for her to vacate
The estranged couple share three children — Cayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 13. (Costner also has four adult children from previous relationships.)
‘There are multiple very nice homes in the Santa Barbara area advertised for six-week and more rentals through Airbnb,’ he continued. ‘She could have arranged for a month or two month or shorter term rental.’
Costner also claimed that the dispute has affected his work. He has been working on an upcoming film titled Horizon: An American Saga as not only a starring actor but also a producer, director, and writer.
Costner alleged that he is unable ‘to begin post-production work on Horizon’ because his estranged wife ‘did not respond by June 23 to my request that she at least most out of the primary bedroom.
‘Because I am not now comfortable sharing a residence with Christine, I very reluctantly changed my travel plans and delayed returning home,’ he said and allegedly opted to temporarily live at his 160-acre ranch in Aspen, Colorado.
‘This forced change in my plans is materially interfering with my work commitments,’ he continued about what he hopes will be a ‘four-movie project’ — which is set ‘to show at film festivals later this year, with a theatrical release by year end.’
Costner had also claimed that he canceled one of his credit cards because Baumgartner had allegedly charged over $100,000 in the past two months.
‘Christine began charging large sums on the credit cards payable to her divorce attorneys and forensic accountants,’ he had said in the statement. ‘She gave me no advance warning each time she did so.’
Huge conflict: Costner also claimed that the dispute has affected his work. He has been working on an upcoming film titled Horizon: An American Saga as not only a starring actor but also a producer, director, and writer
The newly filed documents come as a response to Baumgartner’s own filing on June 28. Last Wednesday, she had refuted that his claims about her refusal to vacate his home are ‘simply not true’.
Finally, she insisted that she would move out by August 31 if they come to an agreement on child support payments.
To set up and maintain a ‘suitable separate household’ for their children, Baumgartner had requested $248,000 per month in child support.
Costner and Baumgartner are due back in court in Santa Barbara on July 5 for a case-management conference.
The day before Costner filed the legal document with his most recent response, however, Baumgartner was seen at the airport in Los Angeles with their daughter Grace and son Hayes.
For an apparently short trip due to the impending court date, she was witnessed being dropped off at the LAX airport and entering the terminal with a cup of coffee and luggage in hand.
Baumgartner and her kids toted backpacks and luggage as they exited a vehicle and were seen making their way toward the terminal on the summer day.
Baumgartner wore a floral pattern shirt with black flare pants and sandals on the summer day. Hayes and Grace matched in long-sleeved gray tops with plaid pants ahead of the plane ride.
Outgoing: Kevin Costner’s estranged wife Christine Baumgartner was seen leaving Los Angeles via LAX airport on Thursday with two of their three kids, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 13, amid the celebrity couple’s divorce battle
The former couple was pictured in April of 2022 at an event in LA
Costner has claimed the $248,000 a month in child support his estranged wife is demanding is partly to fund her own plastic surgery expenses.
Baumgartner — who reportedly ‘blindsided’ Costner, 68, when she handed him divorce papers — called the requested amount ‘less than the amount needed to maintain the children in their accustomed lifestyle,’ reported People Magazine earlier this month.
Costner’s forensic accountant had claimed in new court documents obtained by TMZ that the expenses listed among the $248,000 include more than $100,000 in cosmetic surgery for Baumgartner.
The sum also included thousands of dollars in boutique shopping, huge ATM withdrawals and other expenses ‘not to do with child support,’ Costner’s forensic accountant said.
Among Christine’s listed expenses are credit card bills and her own attorney fees and construction loans. Costner’s accountant said these were ‘one-time expenses that have nothing to do with child support.’
The documents claimed Costner has been paying all of the children’s expenses and will continue to do so, saying the amount he is currently paying is the reasonable amount — $51,940 a month.
Documents from earlier this month show that Costner pulled in just over $19.5 million in 2022 with the family’s expenses listed as being $6.6 million for the same year. The family’s net worth is put at $7.5 million, according to the People report.
Baumgartner had recently signaled her willingness to leave the mansion they previously shared, but only as long as she has guarantees that her soon-to-be ex won’t leave her penniless.
She had agreed to leave the $145 million mansion on the condition that Costner, 68, agrees to pay any support and fees that a judge orders at an upcoming hearing, according to court filings obtained by RadarOnline.
In the documents, Baumgartner agreed to vacate the premises on August 31 of this year as long as Costner complies ‘with whatever support and fee orders that the court makes on July 12’, the date of the next hearing in their divorce proceedings.
Short-term: The trip isn’t expected to be a long one, as Baumgartner is due back in court in Santa Barbara Wednesday for a hearing about the prenuptial agreement in the split
In transit: Baumgartner and her kids toted backpacks and luggage as they exited a vehicle
Kind: Baumgartner was seen greeting an airline worker at the busy travel terminal Thursday
Claim: Costner’s forensic account now claimed in new court documents obtained by TMZ that the expenses listed among the $248,000 include more than $100,000 in cosmetic surgery for Baumgartner
Content: Amid the legal battle and the travel day, Baumgartner seemed to be in good spirits
Casual: Hayes and Grace matched in long-sleeved gray tops with plaid pants ahead of the plane ride
Stylish: Baumgartner wore a floral pattern shirt with black flare pants and sandals on the summer day
In unity: The family was seen making their way toward the terminal on the summer day
Big family: The former couple share son Cayden, 16, while Costner also has four adult children from previous relationships
That arrangement would give her 50 days to find a new place to live and to move in, whereas the prenuptial agreement reportedly stated that she would leave the original home within 30 days of a divorce filing.
She wrote that she was hesitant to leave her home without having a plan and funding in place, if only for the sake of her children, whom she doesn’t want to have to move multiple times.
Baumgartner claimed that ‘Kevin wants me to rent [a] place without [a] financial plan in place. However, [I] have our three children to think about. It is contrary to their best interests to commit to rental that [I] may not be able to afford, particularly as that would ultimately lead to multiple relocations.
‘My goal has been and continues to be maintaining as much stability for our children as possible, which includes having the proper resources and plan in place so that [I] can establish [a] stable home for them, rather than making temporary and inconsistent housing arrangements,’ she continued.
Costner was not only the primary breadwinner, but the only person making money recently, and Baumgartner says in her filing that she has no income.
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The Yellowstone star was on the hook to help his estranged wife relocate per their prenuptial agreement, but it was a relatively paltry sum for their lifestyle.
Costner would have paid her a reported $1 million to find a new home, but with California’s elevated home prices — particularly if she tried to stay near Costner — she may have had difficulty finding something similar to the luxury she and her children are accustomed to.
On the calendar: Baumgartner said she will leave on August 31 as long as Costner, 68, complies ‘with whatever support and fee orders that the court makes on July 12,’ the date of their next hearing; still from Yellowstone
Moving money: Costner has already put $1M in Baumgartner’s bank account to find a new home, but she isn’t touching it in order to contest the validity of their prenup; seen in March 2022
According to RadarOnline, Costner has deposited $1 million in Baumgartner’s bank account to get her to move out of his mansion, and he said he had previously given her $200,000 earlier in their marriage in line with their prenuptial agreement
However, Baumgartner isn’t touching the money, as she says doing so would rob her of her ability to contest their prenup’s validity.
She has also said that the couple have had no problems on days where Costner was staying at the home, and she says the mansion’s size and disconnected living spaces mean they can live together without interacting.
Costner’s legal team previously said in court filings that ‘Kevin has acted in good faith and has done everything in his power to make the transition as seamless as possible,’ according to Insider.
He is being represented by the famous divorce attorney Laura Wasser, who reportedly served as an inspiration for Laura Dern’s lawyer character in Noah Baumbach’s critically acclaimed film Marriage Story, which earned Dern an Academy Award for best supporting actress.
It was previously reported that Baumgartner is seeking $248,000 per month in child support payments. She and Costner share three children: sons Cayden, 15; and Hayes, 14; along with their younger daughter Grace, 13.
However, Costner has said in other filings that he believes he should only pay around $38,000 per month.
Earlier this week, The Sun reported that Costner was ‘blindsided’ when he was served divorce papers by his wife, as he thought that he would be the first to file.
Family: The former couple share three children together, Cayden 16, Hayes, 14, and Grace 13 (pictured 2015) Costner also has four adult children from previous relationships.
The Waterworld actor ‘sat his family down, told them he and their mum were getting a divorce and his lawyer was getting the paperwork drawn up,’ a source claimed to the publication.
‘He wanted everything to be peaceful for the sake of his kids and told Christine he didn’t want a messy divorce because he’d already been through one,’ they continued.
But ‘first thing the next morning, boom, Christine sneak attacks him and serves him with her own set of divorce papers.
‘Kevin was so shocked,’ the source added. ‘Christine has since made him look terrible, and has continued to do so.’
However, Baumgartner has previously shared a different, less flattering version of how their children learned of their impending divorce.
In a court filing obtained earlier this month by People, she claimed that Costner told the three children about the divorce via a Zoom chat while he was in Las Vegas filming on location.
The handbag designer added that she was not present during the Zoom call, and she noted that she was puzzled about why the children had to be told in that way, as Costner would be returning home in a matter of days.
‘I am 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,’ she wrote.
Significant difference: Baumgartner is seeking $248K in child support per month, but Costner says he should only pay $38K per month
She added that she feared the children might learn of the split from an outside source, and she shared research with him that she had done that indicated a unified front with both parents was the best way to announce the divorce to the kids.
However, Baumgartner claimed that Costner was adamant about sharing the information before her and on his own.
‘He disregarded my proposal to do what I felt was right based on research and my relationship with the children. Instead, he insisted that he had the right to tell them that we were getting divorced “first” and tell them privately “without me present,”‘ she claimed.
It’s unclear if the alleged Zoom session could be the same event described by the source, or if there may have been two dates at which Costner spoke to the children about his separation from Baumgartner.
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