Kevin Costner ‘Never Wanted’ Divorce From Christine Baumgartner to Happen: Inside Their Heated Split
The divorce battle between Yellowstone star Kevin Costner and his wife of 18 years, Christine Baumgartner, is heating up. The pair, who have three school-age children together, are at odds over who gets to live in the couple’s expansive (and expensive) Carpinteria, California, estate. There has also been whispers of a handsome video game mogul who may have come between them.
Kevin, 68, recently went to court to compel Christine, who filed for divorce in May, to move out of their family home. He notes that he will pay her more than $1 million to find a place suitable for herself and their three children, as per the terms of their prenup agreement. He has also offered her a temporary child support package of $30,000 a month and $10,000 toward moving expenses — provided she leaves the house.
“I was married once before and, upon separation, I found myself without a home base and unable to live in my own home,” Kevin said in court documents obtained by Closer Weekly. “I never wanted this to happen again.”
So far Christine is staying put. “The reason she hasn’t left the home is because she feels he should be the one to leave,” says a friend. “Christine refusing to move out is a tactic to show Kevin that she is in charge.”
Kevin’s obsession with work — his new drama Horizon is expected to bow in the fall — has long been blamed for Christine’s decision to end their marriage. “Christine wanted Kevin to commit more time to her and the children. She was tired of waiting,” explains the insider.
Kevin, however, felt blindsided by her legal filing. “Kevin thinks that Christine abandoned him and didn’t give him the opportunity to fix their marriage before calling it quits,” says the friend, who adds that the Oscar winner had initially hoped to keep his family together. “He and Christine have had rocky patches before, and she has given him ultimatums. He truly didn’t want it to come to this.”
Her refusal to move from their estate, which Kevin purchased 16 years before their marriage, has hurt him deeply. “Christine has taken the position that she will not move out of Kevin’s separate property residence unless and until Kevin agrees to various financial demands,” his legal team noted.
It’s been reported that just before his wife filed, Kevin had an altercation with tech mogul Daniel Starr, 42, who had gotten too friendly with Christine while he was renting their $64,000-a-month guesthouse on the property.
Christine, 49, “would come into his house almost daily,” says a source, who added that Daniel was a “respectful guy” who didn’t “cross any lines” with Christine. Still, things became complicated. “[She] didn’t like Kevin’s attitude toward their friendship. She texted [Kevin] and said she wanted him out,” says the source, who adds that once Kevin got wind of the situation, he also demanded that Daniel leave. “Kevin feels that she was inappropriate in leaning on other people,” says the friend.
While Kevin and Christine wage war against each other, the lives of their children, Cayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 13, are on hold. “It has been hard for the children, understandably. They are old enough to see what is going on,” notes the friend, who adds that they naturally gravitate toward their mother. “They haven’t spent as much time with Kevin as he has been working, so that makes it even more emotionally painful.”
