Kevin Costner and his ex-wife Christine Baumgartner have settled for divorce after a months-long court battle.
“Kevin and Christine Costner have come to an amicable and mutual agreement to resolve all issues related to their divorce proceedings,” a representative for Costner and Baumgartner said in a statement to The Times on Tuesday. Details of the settlement were not immediately released. Costner’s attorney, Laura Wasser, whose clients include Britney Spears and Kim Kardashian, did not respond to requests for comment.
Baumgartner filed for divorce in Santa Barbara County Superior Court in May, ending her 18-year marriage to Costner. The two wanted joint custody of their three children — Kayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 13. Despite their prenuptial agreement, what followed was a contentious legal battle as the pair traded jabs in court over how much Costner would pay in child support. .
In a May court filing obtained by NBC News, Baumgartner said the “Yellowstone” star pays $248,000 a month in child support, to help pay for their children’s private school education and health care, among other expenses. The former fashion designer noted that Costner makes millions and that she has been a stay-at-home mom since the birth of her first son and currently has no income.
According to Insider, Costner’s attorney disputes that $63,000 per month is owed. The judge agreed and ordered the actor to pay that amount. The outlet also reported that Costner gave Baumgartner $300,000 in July to help cover attorney and expert fees. He went on to request an additional $800,000 to cover more costs.
In July, a judge ordered Baumgartner to leave the family’s Carpinteria beachfront compound after she refused to do so. According to NBC News, Costner paid $200,000 to help cover running costs as spelled out in their prenuptial agreement and offered to pay for additional expenses. The prenup required her to leave their home within 30 days of their separation.
Baumgartner and Costner first met on a golf course in the 1990s while Costner was rehearsing for his role in the 1996 film “Tin Cup.” The actor was married to his first wife at the time and didn’t start dating Baumgartner until 1999.
The couple split briefly in 2003 — Baumgartner wanted to have children and Costner wasn’t sure she should have more — but the two eventually made it up, tying the knot in Aspen, Colo., in 2004 and welcoming three children several years later.
This is the second divorce for Costner, 68. The “Dances With Wolves” star was previously married to Cindy Silva. Their 16-year marriage ended in 1994, and according to Forbes, the divorce was the costliest in Hollywood history, with Silva receiving an estimated $80-million settlement.
Times staff writers Carlos De Lora and Emily St. Martin contributed to this report.