EXCLUSIVE | Expert reveals Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner's divorce may be headed for Depp vs Heard muck-levels
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A Santa Barbara County judge has ordered ’Yellowstone’ star Kevin Costner to pay $129,755 a month in child support payments to his former wife Christine Baumgartner. It is half of what Baumgartner had asked initially of him but still significantly more than what the actor’s legal team had suggested.
Additionally, the judge turned down the 'Yellowstone' star's plea to resolve the child support issue before the trial date to decide whether or not the couple's prenuptial agreement was legally valid. The trial has been scheduled for November 27.
Holly Davis explains how case may pan out
As the divorce feud continues, MEAWW spoke with family law attorney Holly Davis of Austin-based Kirker Davis LLP, who has extensive experience in high-net-worth divorce cases. After thoroughly examining the divorce battle between Costner and Baumgartner, Holly gave us an insight into how the case may pan out.
'We could expect her to demand many millions more'
According to reports, Baumgartner filed for divorce in May, alleging irreconcilable differences. Her attorneys first requested $248,000 per month in child support payments before dropping their demand to $217,300 monthly. As per Holly, Baumgartner could ask for more child support from her spouse, considering this factor was not included in their prenup.
Does Costner in any way stand to be at an advantage? Holly explained, "If there were no prenup, and given Christine’s financial requests on child support—we could expect her to demand many millions of dollars more on spousal support and a division of their estate. He probably saved himself many tens of millions of dollars by negotiating the premarital agreement with Christine before they got married and she became the mother of his children."
At the start of the divorce proceedings, Costner mentioned to the court in his application that he fears he would be ‘homeless’ again, just like it happened during his divorce from his first wife Cindy Silva. Hence his insistence that Baumgartner move out of their previously shared California home. Holly, however, dismisses the prospect.
She remarked, “He was always going to retain his rights to the property based on the terms of the prenup, the move-out date was just the part that Christine was looking to modify based on her role as the primary parent to his children. By dressing up the move-out provision of the prenup as a child support issue—effectively kicking his children out of the house---she was attempting to re-negotiate the terms of the prenup on that term and the spousal support term.”
Another Depp v Heard in the making?
As their bitter divorce battle plays out in the media, one cannot help but draw parallels to another high-profile celebrity trial that caught the attention of the nation. If Costner and Baumgartner keep accusing each other of being dishonest or malicious, it could soon resemble the defamation trial of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, who were once the "IT" couple of Hollywood. Holly noted, "If they keep throwing mud and revealing embarrassing details, it could become similar to the Depp/Heard defamation case. Although the Depp/Heard trial was a defamation case, it read much like a public divorce and breakup."
Costner was concerned that his estranged wife may attempt to frame him to gain the upper hand in their fight for his $400 million fortune.The shocking accusation against his wife of 18 years was made in a last-minute declaration to reject her appeal to "cohabitate" until the child support payment dispute is resolved and to remove her from his enormous $145 million California estate. According to their original prenup, she was supposed to move out of their house within 30 days of filing for divorce, which did not happen. Judge Thomas Anderle of the Superior Court of Santa Barbara County in California ruled in a July 5 hearing that Baumgartner will have to vacate by July 31.
Damning allegations
The enraged star claimed he doesn't trust the mother of his three children, who are 16, 14, and 13. He fears she may bring criminal accusations against him while living together and that may jeopardize his case. Other than this allegation, Kevin has launched a vicious assault against his estranged wife, accusing her of damaging his reputation and launching a publicity campaign during their current divorce procedures.
However, Christine alleged that when she told her husband that their marriage was ending, he was "out of touch with reality." She said that he had reacted "aggressively" to the news. According to documents filed by the former handbag designer, once she informed Costner that she wanted a divorce on April 11, 2023, the 'Yellowstone' actor immediately became defensive and ran to his lawyers, including the feared Laura Wasser. Baumgartner has since slammed her ex-husband’s hasty engagement of counsel in a seven-page document to the court.
'Kevin and Christine should be wary of using the public eye'
As a parting thought, Holly has a word of advice for the two fighting couples. "The attorneys and PR agents to Kevin and Christine should be wary of using the public eye to negotiate their divorce on all levels— and Kevin and Christine should be concerned that some of their allegations against the other may go too far, may seem disingenuous, or that an embarrassing fact about themselves may be revealed for public consumption," she said. Costner and Baumgartner’s legal teams will face each other in court on August 2 to further discuss their prenup conditions.
