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12th Jul 2023

Kevin Costner ‘ordered to pay estranged wife $129k a month in child support’

Charlie Herbert

Kevin Costner ‘ordered to pay estranged wife $129k a month in child support’

It’s more than double what he had initially offered

Kevin Costner has been reportedly ordered to pay his ex-wife Christine Baumgartner $129,000 (£99.7k) in monthly child support.

Baumgartner and Costner are in the middle of divorce proceedings after she filed for divorce in early May.

Costner had originally offered $52,000-a-month (£40,740) in child support, but Baumgartner rejected this.

She had requested $248,000 monthly child support from actor.

Now, Fox News has seen legal documents showing that Costner will have to pay more than double his original offer.

In a tentative ruling set by Judge Thomas Anderle on Tuesday (11 July), the Yellowstone star will also be required to pay $200,000 (£155k) in attorney’s fees and $100,000 (£77k) in forensic costs.

The estranged couple will each be required to pay half of their three children’s health care expenses, sports and extracurricular activities.

Payments will be made on the “first of each month” with “credit for sums paid between July 1 and July 12,” per court documents.

Last week, Baumgartner was ordered to vacate the $145 million California beachfront home they used to share.

Kevin Costner, Christine Baumgartner and their three children (Getty)

The handbag designer has until the end of the month to do so and was reportedly in breach of their pre-nuptial agreement, which stated she had to move out within 30 days of filing for divorce.

She said she would move out if Costner agreed to pay almost $250,000 a month in child support.

Costner had originally offered $38,000 a month in child support, before increasing this to $52,000.

But Baumgartner claimed the offer was “well below” the $65,000 per month that she claims Costner receives for renting out a guest house on his property, adding that he “spends $240,000 a month on himself and the kids when they’re with him”.

It was reported that Baumgartner said the offer is not enough to maintain the lifestyle that their three teenage children are accustomed to, as they are “used to living at the beach and in a gated neighbourhood”.

Costner’s attorney said the actor has been paying all of the children’s expenses since separating from Baumgartner and will continue to do so, the Independent reported.

Baumgartner stated that their lifestyle is maintained by a team of staff, such as assistants who clean the home and do the grocery shop.

Her legal team had sought an extension to the deadline she had to vacate the property by, on the grounds that she does not have the money to move which Costner’s team disputes.

In a memorandum Costner’s team state: “She (Baumgartner) has at her disposal almost $1.5m in cash to find alternative housing. Multiple four-bedroom, four-bathroom lovely homes are presently available, located in close proximity to Kevin’s separate property residence… Kevin made multiple offers to assist her in relocating.”

Costner has reportedly gone to stay at his 160-acre ranch in Aspen, Colorado, because he no longer feels “comfortable sharing a residence with Christine”.

Baumgartner is entitled to a settlement of $1.4m under the conditions of their pre-nup, which Costner claimed he has already paid.

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