Kevin Costner limits estranged wife Christine Baumgartner's credit as she refuses to vacate $100M house
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In the midst of their divorce battle, Christine Baumgartner, the estranged wife of actor Kevin Costner, has made headlines by claiming that Costner has limited her funds following the divorce request. According to court filings, Baumgartner has requested a substantial monthly child support payment of $248,000 as part of their separation agreement.
In the ongoing contentious legal case, Baumgartner alleged that Costner initially offered a meager $30,000 a month for child support. Furthermore, she claimed that Costner unexpectedly canceled one of her credit cards and significantly reduced the credit limit on another, leaving her in a financial bind. "He canceled one of my credit cards, and substantially reduced my credit limit on my second credit card far below the status quo levels, all without any advance notice to me," Baumgartner said in a June 28 filing.
'I have 'refused' to move out is simply not true!'
The couple, who were married for nearly two decades, recently decided to part ways, citing irreconcilable differences. They share three children, Cayden, 14, Hayes, 14 and Grace, 13. Baumgartner firmly expressed her willingness to move out of their shared Santa Barbara beach compound by the end of the summer, but she stated that she would only do so if Costner agrees to the requested $248,000 monthly child support payment. The beachfront compound consists of three homes and two extensive lots, and Baumgartner believes the entire estate to be worth over $100 million, according to the documents.
"Kevin's statement…that I have 'refused' to move out is simply not true," Baumgartner said in her latest divorce declaration. "Since the initiation of this divorce, I have repeatedly told Kevin (both directly and through counsel) that I would move out once a child support order or agreement was in place. And I have taken steps to demonstrate my commitment to doing so by investigating available housing options."
(Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for WarnerMedia)
'I have our three children to think about!'
In her previous filings, she asserted having no assets apart from $50,000 in her checking account, while pointing out that Costner earned $19 million last year and covered the family's expenses, amounting to $6.6 million. Following Baumgartner's divorce filing last month, Costner responded by filing a motion to evict her from their marital home, referring to a clause in their prenuptial agreement that allegedly stipulated a 30-day timeline for her to vacate the premises once divorce proceedings began.
Costner also stated that he offered Baumgartner $1 million to purchase a new house, along with a year of paid mortgage, insurance, and taxes. "Kevin wants me to rent a place without a financial plan in place," Baumgartner said. "However, I have our three children to think about. It is contrary to their best interests to commit to a rental that I may not be able to afford, particularly as that would ultimately lead to multiple relocations."