The bitter divorce battle between “Yellowstone” star Kevin Costner and his ex Christine Baumgartner has come to a sudden and shocking end as the two sides have agreed to enforce their prenuptial agreement after all.
Kevin wins!
Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner SHOCK Divorce Settlement: Bitter legal war comes to a surprising end as the prenup is being enforced — and the estranged wife, 49, would have to reimburse the Yellowstone actor, 68, $1 MILLION and his attorney fees if he is challenged pic.twitter.com/Ybn0PZdIC8
— ᴼᴹᴳ ᶥᵗˢ Adàeze (@nubianbarbieee) September 19, 2023
Costner emerges victorious in the divorce battle
Costner, 68, and Baumgartner, 49, had fought for months over the terms of their divorce after splitting on May 1 after 18 years of marriage.
“Kevin and Christine Costner have reached an amicable and mutually agreed resolution to all issues relating to their divorce proceedings,” the former couple told Daily Mail in a joint statement.
Costner appeared to celebrate on social media by posting a throwback photo of himself from the 1999 romantic drama film Message in a Bottle.
“Happy Monday, friends,” he captioned the photo. “I wish you all health and happiness.”
Baumgartner retreats
TMZ reported that Baumgartner learned last weekend that “she would have to repay Kevin more than $1 million and pay his attorney’s fees for the prenuptial agreement.” As soon as she heard this, she reportedly “agreed to the terms of a three-page settlement letter this weekend.”
Before that, Baumgartner had prepared for a trial in November to challenge the validity of the prenuptial agreement. She had recently gone to court asking for $575,000 to pay her attorneys John Rydell and Susan Wiesner, as well as another $280,000 for her forensic accountant Jill Bombino. Court documents show that Baumgartner had already received $405,000 in legal, attorney and “forensic accounting fees” in July.
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Costner’s celebrity divorce attorney Laura Wasser responded to this “whopping” request by describing the fees as “too high,” adding that it would be “unreasonable” to force Costner to pay them.
Kevin Costner’s wife Christine Baumgartner files for divorce after 18 years of marriage pic.twitter.com/2DJoUDgDYf
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) May 3, 2023
Related: Kevin Costner accuses ex of ‘relentless jihad’ – she breaks down in court
Child support battle
Costner and Baumgartner share three teenage children who range in age from 13 to 16.
Earlier this month, Judge Thomas Anderle ruled in Costner’s favor when he reduced the monthly child support payments he paid to his ex from $129,755 to $63,209. This was a brutal defeat for Baumgartner, who had asked for the payments to be increased to $161,592 per month, but the judge went so far as to accuse her of trying to obtain “disguised spousal support.”
“Support in excess of $63,209 per month is disguised spousal support,” Anderle wrote in court documents obtained by Fox News. “Christine will have the opportunity to convince the court that she is entitled to spousal support.”
“Christine is shocked,” a source close to Baumgartner said after the verdict. “She said even Kevin seemed shocked. Everyone looked shocked. To say Christine is disappointed is an understatement. She described the statement as a complete joke.”
Costner was reportedly blindsided when Baumgartner filed for divorce on May 1.
“It is with great sadness that circumstances beyond his control have occurred that have resulted in Mr. Costner having to participate in an action for dissolution of marriage,” Costner’s rep told People Magazine at the time. “We ask that his, Christine and their children’s privacy be respected as they navigate this difficult time.”
Breaking: Kevin #Costner and Christine Baumgartner’s divorce has been settled and the prenup enforced with a $1 million fine if challenged. Christine #Baumgartner agreed to the terms of a three-page settlement letter – ending the acrimonious divorce for the sake of the children #yellowstone pic.twitter.com/E5hCeCtV0K
— Blue Bay Network (@BlueBayNetwork) September 19, 2023
Related: Kevin Costner gets more bad news as bitter divorce battle continues
‘Yellowstone’ ends
Days after Baumgartner filed, Daily Mail reported that the end of “Yellowstone” was announced by Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, who also revealed that a sequel series starring Matthew McConaughey will replace the film .
“’Yellowstone’ has been the cornerstone on which we launched an entire universe of global hits – from ‘1883’ to ‘Tulsa King’, and I’m confident our sequel will be another smash hit, thanks to Taylor’s brilliant creative mind Sheridan [the show’s creator] and our incredible casts who bring these shows to life,” said McCarthy.
‘YELLOWSTONE’ officially ends with Season 5.
A sequel series will premiere in December, with Matthew McConaughey in talks to star. pic.twitter.com/Ie2iKpawId
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) May 5, 2023
Considering how bitter this divorce battle seems to have been, it seems like it’s best for everyone that it ends. For the sake of Costner and Baumgartner’s three children, we can only hope that they can be cordial enough with each other to co-parent effectively.
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