Divorce is never easy, but celebrity divorces are often especially ugly, with millions of dollars at play and everything playing out in public.
Now, Kevin Costner’s split from longtime wife Christine Baumgartner is taking a messy turn, as the Yellowstone star says estranged wife of demanding a huge sum of child support to pay for her plastic surgery expenses.
People reported last week that Baumgartner is asking for $248,000 a month in child support from Costner, arguing that the nearly quarter-million figure is “less than the amount needed to maintain the children in their accustomed lifestyle.”
The couple have three kids together: Cayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 13. Baumgartner reportedly wants Costner to pay for the entirety of their private school tuitions and health care expenses.
But according to TMZ, court documents filed by Costner say that Baumgartner is using unrelated expenses to justify that amount, including $100,000 in cosmetic surgery.
Baumgartner’s expenses also include thousands of dollars on boutique shopping, huge ATM withdrawals, credit card bills and her own attorney fees, along with one-time expenses like construction loans.
The filing from Costner’s forensic accountant says that the actor has been paying all the expenses for the kids, and that the $51,940 a month he is currently paying is a reasonable amount.
According to Page Six, Baumgartner has also been refusing to vacate their $145M mansion, saying she will only leave if Costner agrees to pay “whatever support fee orders that the court makes” at their upcoming divorce hearing on July 12, even though their prenup stated that she had 30 days to vacate the property.
Baumgartner claimed that Costner wants her to “rent a place without a financial plan in place,” per Radar Online, and wants to avoid “making temporary and inconsistent housing arrangements” for the sake of their children.
According to Insider, Baumgartner’s attorney John Rydell accused Costner of trying to “kick Christine and their three children out of the house that the children have lived in for their entire lives.”
“Although the legal basis for Kevin’s request to kick his wife and children out of their home is all but nonexistent, this is still a matter of critical importance for Christine.”
The acrimonious Hollywood divorce has been playing out since May 1, when Baumgartner filed for divorce from Costner after 18 years of marriage, citing “irreconcilable differences.”
“It is with great sadness that circumstances beyond his control have transpired which have resulted in Mr. Costner having to participate in a dissolution of marriage action,” a rep for Costner said in a statement at the time.
But Costner was reportedly “stunned” by his wife’s divorce filing. “Kevin was very surprised by Christine’s actions, he obviously doesn’t want the divorce and he would take her back,” one friend told Page Six. “It’s disappointing, he loves her and he loves his children.”
It’s always sad to see people going through an ugly divorce, especially when there are children involved — we hope Costner and Baumgartner can resolve their differences and settle things amicably.
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