Messy Divorce Settled: Kevin Costner and Estranged Wife Christine Reach an Agreement

Celebrity
‘Kevin and Christine Costner have come to an amicable and mutually agreed upon resolution’

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Sep 19, 2023 • 3 minute read

Kevin Costner and his estranged wife Christine Baumgartner have settled their messy divorce.

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“Kevin and Christine Costner have come to an amicable and mutually agreed upon resolution of all issues pertaining to their divorce proceedings,” a rep for Costner said in a joint statement for the duo.

“Kevin is relieved that this matter has been settled and will continue to focus solely on jointly raising their three children,” a source tells PEOPLE.

Kevin Costner and his estranged wife Christine Baumgartner have settled their messy divorce.

Costner and Baumgartner, a model and handbag designer, began dating in 1998 before getting married at his Colorado ranch in 2004. It was his second marriage and followed a divorce from his first wife that reportedly cost him $80 million. Baumgartner cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the breakup, but a source told PEOPLE at the time that if it had been up to Costner they would have stayed married. “It was not anything that he wanted or sought and if he could change the situation, he would,” they said.

A source close to Costner told Us Weekly that the split left their inner-circle shocked. “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. He’s been blindsided by this.”

Although the couple had a prenuptial agreement in place, Baumgartner contested aspects of the $1.5-million payout, saying she “felt pressured to sign the agreement” and “didn’t fully understand it.”

Earlier this month, Costner was ordered to pay over $63,000 in child support payments — far below the $248,000 Baumgartner had initially been seeking.

“My biggest concern is that the court orders me to pay child support that is above the needs of my children and for the needs of Christine,” Costner said when he took the stand.

Baumgartner argued that both she and their children had become used to a certain lifestyle thanks to Costner’s acting work. Her attorney John Rydell said that living a pampered life where they are “connected to the ocean” is “in their DNA at this point.”

When Costner left court after the child support amount was settled, he told Fox News there was “no winner” in his fight with Baumgartner. “You know, when you have a life that long with somebody, there is no winner … and it’s this big, crazy thing called life and how it unravels so quickly,” he said. “One minute you feel like you’re on top of the world and then you realize … how vulnerable you are.”

In response to the reduced payments, Baumgartner vowed to get a job. “I will look into the steps I need to take and any schooling I need to do and I will enter the workforce,” Baumgartner said in court, according to PEOPLE.

TMZ reported that while details of the deal are still under wraps, Costner is giving Baumgartner more than the $1.5 million she’s entitled to from their prenup “for the sake of settlement.” The outlet said the judge also made it “pretty clear the prenup would be enforced” and Baumgartner would be on the hook for Costner’s legal fees if she tried to mount a challenge.

“Apparently, Christine saw the handwriting on the wall and agreed over the weekend to the terms of a 3-page settlement letter,” they wrote.

Costner appeared to be in good spirits following the news, sharing an Instagram post wishing his 1.1 million followers “health and happiness.”

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