While Yellowstone fans will probably still be waiting a while to learn what’s happening with the back half of Season 5, given the WGA writers strike and potential actors’ strike, some movement has apparently been made regarding star Kevin Costner and his impending divorce from estranged wife Christine Baumgartner. Two updates have been reported regarding the complex and allegedly contentious split between the couple, and perhaps unsurprisingly, money and finances are at the heart of both updates, and we’ll go deeper into both below.
Christine Baumgartner Has Agreed To Finally Move Out, WIth A Catch
Possibly the biggest sticking point causing strife between Costner and Baumgartner has been her refusal to move out of the Carpinteria, CA mansion that they shared for years. The Dances with Wolves filmmaker is said to have specifically noted in the couple's prenuptial agreement that she vacate the premises in the event of a separation, as he was left without a central home to return to between film jobs back when he was going through a divorce from his first wife. He didn't want to fall back into that fate anew, and has supposedly been angered by Baumgartner's insistence on staying settled beyond the 30-day limit that was in the agreement.
Now, however, Radar Online reports that legal documents were filed in court that confirm the handbag designer has agreed to at last make the effort to remove herself from the home. According to her stipulations, she'll exit the coastal mansion on August 31, 2023, so long as her soon-to-be ex agrees with whatever court orders are made when their divorce hearing takes place on July 12.
At that point, Baumgartner claims that she'll have 50 days from that point to properly seek out a new place to live for her and their three children. She says in the paperwork that Costner pushed for her to quickly vacate the home and find a rental to move into, saying that the issue was that she didn't have a financial plan in place. Costner's legal team has stated he's already supplied upwards of $1 million in support, as per the prenup, and that he has already agreed to pay off her rental fees/mortgage, insurance, and other costs tied to finding a new home. However, Baumgartner claims that if she uses the money in any way, she no longer as the right to contest the prenup's validity in court.
Kevin Costner Reportedly Cut Off Ex-Wife's Credit Card
Another report from RadarOnline may speak to why the money situation has been such a major factor in the lead-up to Costner and Baumgartner's divorce. (Obviously money is always a factor in these cases, but this is slightly more unique, given the cirumstances.) It's stated that after she retained the lawyer John R. Rydell II as a way to fight the prenup, Costner cancelled the credit card used for it, thus taking away her main source of finances. What's more, he's said to have also limited the amount of money she can spend while using a secondary credit card, though didn't appear to cancel it outright.
Baumgartner accused him of defaulting on a legal agreement that he would continue providing a financial "status quo" as they go through the divorce proceedings. She claims she's unable to pay for things to support her and their three children, and that she's unable to show proof of personal income in the event of trying to find a new home to rent or own. A major blow here is that he's said to have cut her off without offering any advanced notice.
This high-profile divorce has put a spotlight on Kevin Costner's income and net worth, as well as the family's lofty spending patterns. Considering his first divorce ended with him having to shell out an $80 million settlement, it's understandable that he's trying to avoid a similar mega-payout, but court costs themselves can't be cheap either. For now, we'll have to wait until the July 12 hearing to see where things to from here.
