Should Kevin Costner’s wife *really* take his divorce fortune?

Can you imagine believing fifty-two grand a month is insufficient for child support? That’s the scenario we’re peeking into in the star-studded world of Kevin Costner and his soon-to-be ex, Christine Baumgartner. The spousal showdown seems to be heating up, and it’s got everything to do with how their wealth gets sliced.

Fair share

The former handbag designer and Costner’s estranged wife believes that her kids need a whopping two hundred forty-eight thousand a month in child support, per recent court documents scooped up by TMZ. Baumgartner, the mother of Costner’s three children, isn’t just pulling these figures out of thin air. 

The sixty-eight-year-old actor, famous for his role in The Bodyguard, apparently earns sixty-five grand per month from renting out a beachfront property alone. In Baumgartner’s view, Costner’s rental income should be more than enough to cover the expenses of their three kids.

Baumgartner, who hasn’t been working since their eldest kid came into the world in 2007, is intent on maintaining a lifestyle for their children that doesn’t skimp on life’s little luxuries – assistants, household helpers, and the like.

The reaction

However, Costner, the Hidden Figures actor, remains unyielding in his stance. He insists that the current payment of fifty-one thousand nine hundred forty dollars a month is the only “reasonable” amount he should cough up for child support. But why is Costner, the man whose show Yellowstone had been a major cash cow, seemingly watching his pennies?

His argument? He simply can’t “afford” to splash out more. With Yellowstone no longer in his roster for 2023, his income will be taking a considerable hit. Costner claims that his soon-to-be ex-wife is seeking a larger payday for child support to cover her personal expenses, including over one hundred thousand dollars on cosmetic surgeries.

That’s not all. Allegedly, Baumgartner has been freely spending on boutique shopping, construction loans, legal fees, and expenses that are, according to Costner, unrelated to their children. But she sees things differently. The former model plans to use the proposed increase in child support to secure a home for her children akin to the “gated” community lifestyle they’re accustomed to.

The lifeline

But is Baumgartner’s ask justified or is it just a case of high-stakes Hollywood divorce drama? Costner has already proposed to cover a ten thousand dollar advance towards Baumgartner’s moving costs and a thirty grand per month for a rental house, in addition to his child support obligations.

Eighteen years of marriage, three kids, and an upcoming divorce later, Costner seems to have been taken aback by the split. The couple had agreed upon spousal support terms in their prenuptial agreement, with Costner committing to a separate one point two million dollar property for Baumgartner.

What’s next for this Hollywood split? And in the world of star-studded divorces, is Baumgartner’s ask justified, or is it just another case of high-stakes Hollywood drama?

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