Kevin Costner and his soon-to-be ex-wife, Christine Baumgartner, seemed destined to fight over their divorce for months. But it all came to an end on Tuesday… which makes it even more interesting, and surprising, to look back and see how they got here.
Key Takeaway
The divorce between Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgautner was a turbulent journey that culminated in an unexpected resolution. Despite the prenuptial agreement, the process was filled with drama, including housing disputes and battles over child support. In the end, the couple reached a private agreement, leaving Christine with more than she was initially entitled to. The rollercoaster ride of their divorce serves as a memorable reminder of the challenges that accompany high-profile separations.
May: The Beginning of the End
Starting from the very beginning, we have to go back to May when Christine first filed the papers to end their marriage. The split had all the indications of being ugly, starting with the fact that her decision to divorce Kevin seemingly came out of nowhere… and completely blindsided him.
Months of Ugliness
What followed in the next five months can be described as one of the most unpleasant celebrity divorces in recent memory. This, despite the fact that there was a prenuptial agreement in place.
Right from the start, Christine indicated her intention to challenge the validity of the prenup, starting with her resistance to move out of their house, something that was a predetermined requirement if they ever divorced.
The House Drama
After a lot of back and forth from both sides, Christine finally gave in and moved out, but she waited until the late July deadline to do so. It’s worth noting that Kevin had given her over a million dollars to get her own place, according to what he has said.
Child Support Battle
In addition to the housing drama, there was the whole unpleasant issue of child support, which Christine had contested from the beginning. Initially, she requested a judge to require Kevin to pay the hefty sum of $248,000 per month to support their three teenagers.
Kevin, of course, scoffed at that and insisted that the realistic number was probably closer to $63k per month. And although he almost had to pay $129k monthly… a judge ultimately ruled in his favor and deemed $63k an adequate amount to support the children.
A Break from the Chaos
In the midst of all this turmoil and money disputes, the Costners went on vacation – twice, actually – and their children were able to enjoy trips with both mom and dad. Christine took them to Hawaii for a week, while Kevin flew to Aspen for a quick getaway.
The Prenup Debacle
In August, they were back at the lawyers’ table to clarify whether Christine “understood” the prenuptial agreement she had signed a long time ago, something she and her lawyers argued might not have been entirely clear to her.
Dressed to the nines, Kevin and Christine appeared before an official court to discuss several additional points. Both took the stand to clarify a series of things, including money matters, rumors of new partners, and more.
A Surprising Conclusion
In the end, a judge sided with Kevin again and said that the prenuptial agreement was clear, and ordered Christine to pay a little over $14k to litigate this minor detail. Christine then countered by saying that she wasn’t being petty, but rather preemptively asking for more money from Kevin to cover her attorneys’ upfront fees (over $885k), on top of spousal support.
This was the final offensive just a few days ago, and there didn’t seem to be a close ending until, in a surprising move, Christine and Kevin decided to lay down their arms.
Reaching an Agreement
As we reported, they have reached an agreement, the terms of which are being kept private for now. If it seemed like Christine was stumbling in court, she may have scored a small victory after all. According to our sources, she walked away with more money than she was owed under the original terms of their prenuptial agreement. And that’s how it all ends…
This episode will be remembered for a long time… and it is certainly worth delving into its ups and downs to appreciate the full picture. Did someone say rollercoaster?
