Kevin Costner 'blindsided' as wife Christine Baumgartner files for divorce after 18 years of marriage and claims he didn't cheat
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Many people, including Kevin Costner himself, were unaware of his impending divorce. Kevin Costner was 'stunned' after his wife Christine Baumgartner, 49, filed to dissolve their 18-year marriage on Monday, May 1, 2023, according to insiders speaking to Page Six. The representative for Costner said, "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."
While TMZ claimed that Costner was "blindsided", it was asserted that, despite rumors, the 68-year-old actor did not have any extramarital affair and the actor's "longtime friend" furthered this assertion. Reportedly, the couple, who got married in 2004 and have three children together, also have a pre-nuptial agreement in place. Costner spent almost $80 million on his record-breaking divorce from his first marriage with Cindy Costner.
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Costner has previously been the target of allegations of infidelity. His 1978–1994 marriage to Cindy Silva came to an end following serious infidelity allegations. On the set of his movie 'Waterworld', it was believed that the actor had cheated on Cindy with a hula dancer. Although the accused dancer and Costner denied being romantically involved, the Academy Award winner acknowledged Cindy was unhappy with his work, as reported by Hollywood Life.
The Golden Globe-winning actor said that it is not always simple to be faithful in a relationship even though he has maintained his innocence. Costner spent months away from home filming 'Yellowstone' in Montana, which could have put a strain on his marriage with Baumgartner. Costner had famously dated a slew of supermodels and Hollywood beauties, including Elle Macpherson and Halle Berry.
The 'Bodyguard' star previously stated, "The temptations are pretty strong and there’s a hungry world out there waiting for you to fall. So you can’t even dabble without paying a huge price. I try to conduct my life with a certain amount of dignity and discretion but marriage is a hard, hard gig."
Ironclad prenup protects $250 million estate
Costner is worth an astounding $250 million (£200 million), having accumulated a vast fortune throughout his long career. The Oscar-winning actor and his wife of 18 years are divorcing, citing "irreconcilable differences," but it doesn't appear that his riches would be affected because Baumgartner is allegedly not seeking spousal support. There is a pre-nuptial agreement and one of the terms states that Christine must leave Kevin's residence. Therefore, as per the prenuptial agreement's schedule, the estranged handbag designer must pack up and leave his properties.
Costner's net worth is estimated to be around $250 million, as per CelebrityNetWorth. The Academy Award-winning actor makes an astounding $1.5 million per episode of his popular show 'Yellowstone', MEAWW had previously reported. He was paid $1.5 million for each episode in 2022, making him the highest-paid TV actor. In the 1990s, when he was paid $14 million for the role in 'Waterworld', Costner rose to the top of Hollywood's highest-paid actors. He received $3 million for his performance in 'Dances With Wolves' in 1990, and owing to a royalty agreement he struck with the producers, he earned almost $40 million for his appearance in 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves' the following year.
Kevin Costner 'wasn't prepared to fall in love again'
After meeting while the actor was filming his movie 'Tin Cup' in 1996, Costner and Baumgartner started dating in 1998. At the time, he acknowledged that when he first met her, he wasn't prepared to fall in love again. Costner and Baumgartner both received degrees from California State University. The couple eventually were married in 2004 on the estate in Aspen, and they later had three children -- Cayden, 15, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 12. Now that Baumgartner has decided to divorce her spouse, she is asking for joint custody of the children.
