A Complete Timeline of Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner’s Divorce

After 18 years of marriage, Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner have gone their separate ways.

The pair wed in September 2004, marking Costner’s second marriage following his divorce from Cindy Silva in 1994. Costner and Baumgartner welcomed their first child together less than three years later, despite the actor’s previous hesitation to get married again and have more children.

Together, Costner and Baumgartner share sons Cayden Wyatt and Hayes Logan, and daughter Grace Avery. In addition, Costner is a dad to four older children from previous relationships: Annie, Lily, Joe and Liam.

In November 2022, Costner spoke fondly of his wife, telling PEOPLE, “My wife does things that just completely… It just helps. The house is prettier because of her. Everything is warmer because of her. There’s these little things that she does and I think it’s the power of love, but that she makes her home that way.”

Kevin Costner’s Wife Christine Baumgartner Files for Divorce After 18 Years of Marriage

However, in early May 2023, a rep for the Field of Dreams actor confirmed to PEOPLE that Costner and his wife were breaking up after she filed for divorce. Baumgartner listed their date of separation as April 11, 2023, and cited irreconcilable differences.

Following months of legal back and forth, Costner and Baumgartner finalized their divorce in February 2024.

Here’s everything to know about Costner and Baumgartner’s contentious divorce, based on court documents obtained by PEOPLE.

April 11, 2023: Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner separate

Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

Although the exact date of their split wasn’t disclosed until May, court filings later confirmed that Baumgartner listed their date of separation as April 11. She cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the breakup, according to documents obtained by PEOPLE.

‘Yellowstone’ to End with Season 5 in November — and a Sequel Series Will Debut a Month Later

May 1, 2023: Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner file for divorce

PEOPLE confirmed on May 2 that Costner and Baumgartner filed for divorce.

“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,” Costner’s representative said in a statement to PEOPLE.

“We ask that his, Christine’s, and their children’s privacy be respected as they navigate this difficult time,” the rep added.

TMZ was the first to report the news.

May 2, 2023: Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner request joint custody of their children

Albert L. Ortega / Contributor / Getty Images

In Baumgartner’s filing on May 1, she requested joint custody of their three children: Cayden, Hayes and Grace. Costner, in his response filed May 2, also asked for joint custody and cited irreconcilable differences.

The actor’s filing also mentioned a prenup in regard to spousal support, legal fees and properties.

The “separate property” his legal team listed included: “Miscellaneous jewelry and other personal effects; earnings and accumulations of Respondent before marriage, during marriage, and from and after the date of separation; [and] there are additional separate property assets and obligations of each party as mandated by the parties’ Premarital Agreement.”

They also added, “Pursuant to the terms in Paragraph 9.A. of the parties’ Premarital Agreement, Petitioner to vacate Respondent’s separate property residences.”

(Costner’s previous 16 year-marriage to Silva reportedly resulted in an estimated $80 million settlement to his ex-wife.)

Kevin Costner’s $80M First Divorce: A Look Back at Actor’s 1994 Breakup with Ex-Wife Cindy Silva

May 3, 2023: A source tells PEOPLE Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner’s divorce was “not anything that he wanted”

A source told PEOPLE that the divorce from Baumgartner wasn’t Costner’s idea: “It was not anything that he wanted or sought, and if he could change the situation, he would.”

May 3, 2023: Christine Baumgartner is seen in public without her wedding ring after divorce filing

Two days after Baumgartner filed for divorce from Costner, the handbag designer was photographed without her wedding ring while out and about in Santa Barbara.

May 5, 2023: Sources tell PEOPLE that Kevin Costner’s divorce “has nothing to do” with Yellowstone‘s end

Paramount Network / Courtesy Everett Collection; Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Three days after Costner and Baumgartner filed for divorce, Paramount announced that Taylor Sheridan’sYellowstone will end after the fifth season. However, despite fan theories, a source told PEOPLE the two events were not connected.

Costner and Baumgartner’s split after 18 years “has nothing to do with Yellowstone,” the source said. “The two situations are unrelated,” the insider emphasized.

Kevin Costner’s Work Schedule Was ‘Hard’ on Wife, Says Source: ‘She Wasn’t Happy About It’ (Exclusive)

May 8, 2023: A source tells PEOPLE that Kevin Costner’s work schedule was “hard” on Christine Baumgartner

A family source told PEOPLE that while the Costner “knew” Baumgartner was “unhappy,” her divorce filing came as an “unpleasant surprise.” The insider noted that the actor’s demanding work schedule was difficult for his estranged wife prior to her divorce filing.

“Christine wants them to spend family time at their Santa Barbara home,” the source said. “During filming, Kevin is not around very much. His absence has been very hard for her.”

According to the source, “Christine doesn’t want him to throw himself into another project. He has been obsessed with filming Horizon since last year. She wasn’t happy about it.”

A separate entertainment source told PEOPLE that “at times, his career has taken precedence over his home life” and “hasn’t been home very much for quite some time due to filming,” referencing Yellowstone and the time necessary for his other projects.

“All of this success and excitement over the new project probably took his attention away from his family more than he realized. Since it didn’t look like that would change and likely could get worse, it caused tension at home,” the entertainment source added.

May 17, 2023: Kevin Costner teases his new Western Horizon

In May, Costner teased his multi-movie epic Horizon: An American Saga on Instagram, saying he hasn’t “felt this way” since he made 1990’s Dances with Wolves (a movie that won seven Oscars, including Best Director for Costner).

“We’re deep into the production of #HorizonFilm, and, I have to tell you, I haven’t felt this way about a movie since we were making Dances With Wolves,” Costner wrote in the caption. “Can’t wait to share it with all of you.”

In November 2022, the actor told PEOPLE that Horizon is “incredibly meaningful to me.” He is producing through his Territory Pictures company, and he co-wrote it with Jon Baird. “It’s really been the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it’s exactly what I want to do,” he said at the time.

Why Kevin Costner Was ‘Surprised’ but Not ‘Shocked’ by Divorce Filing: Source (Exclusive)

June 5, 2023: Kevin Costner reveals he took out a mortgage to fund Horizon

FOX News Media

While speaking with Deadline, Costner revealed that he took out a mortgage on his 10-acre home in Santa Barbara, Calif., in order to pay for some of the Horizon‘s budget himself.

“I’ve mortgaged 10 acres on the water in Santa Barbara where I was going to build my last house,” the Yellowstone star said. “But I did it without a thought. It has thrown my accountant into a f—— conniption fit. But it’s my life, and I believe in the idea and the story.”

“At the end of the day, I’m a storyteller, and I went ahead and put my own money into it,” he told the outlet, as he explained why he chose to risk his own property on the project. “I’m not a very good businessman, so, scratch your head, if you will. I don’t know why, but I have not let go of this one.”

June 14, 2023: Kevin Costner claims Christine Baumgartner won’t move out of their home after she filed for divorce

According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Costner said that per his prenuptial agreement with Baumgartner, she had 30 days to leave the house owned by the Yellowstone actor after filing for divorce. Since she filed on May 1, that deadline has passed and she is allegedly still at the property.

The documents further allege, according to TMZ, that Baumgartner has not budged in an effort to force Costner to agree to “various financial demands.”

A source told PEOPLE that Costner has given his ex $1 million on top of what is required in their prenuptial agreement, saying, “He has gone above and beyond what the prenup specified.”

The documents also state that Costner is willing to contribute a $10,000 advance toward Baumgartner’s moving costs and $30,000 per month for a rental home, per TMZ.

June 15, 2023: Christine Baumgartner’s lawyer says Kevin Costner has no “legal basis” to kick her out of home

Gonzalo Marroquin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

A lawyer for Costner’s estranged wife later said that the actor cannot legally force her to leave the home they have long shared as a family.

According to court documents obtained by Insider, Baumgartner’s attorney John Rydell claimed the request for order (RFO) previously filed by Costner “seeks 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,” Rydell reportedly added in the court filing, per Insider.

A Costner source told PEOPLE, “It’s disingenuous to bring the kids into this. This has nothing to do with the kids. The kids’ foundation is solid. This is all about Christine. Kevin has gone above and beyond in providing Christine the necessary means to find a suitable place for her to move.”

Kevin Costner’s Estranged Wife Christine Spotted Out amid His Claims She Won’t Vacate Home

June 16, 2023: Christine Baumgartner requests $248K a month in child support

Baumgartner asked for $248,000 a month in child support, according to court documents filed by her attorneys and obtained by PEOPLE. The financial request filed by the former handbag designer’s attorneys is listed as “$248,000 total for all three children.”

In the filing, Baumgartner alleged the figure “is less than the amount needed to maintain the children in their accustomed lifestyle” and is requested that Costner also pay 100% of private-school tuition, extracurricular activities/sports and health-care expenses for their three kids: Cayden, Hayes and Grace.

No request for spousal support is noted in the request for order, which was filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara.

In the documents, Costner’s 2022 income was listed at $19,517,0641 and their family’s expenses, not including taxes, were listed at $6,645,285. The net income for the family, after all expenses and taxes, was $7,595,520. Some of the expenses listed include regular travel to the Caribbean, Hawaii, and Aspen, and regular entertaining of guests, requiring caterers or chefs. In addition, the upkeep of their several large properties costs about $2 million a year.

In court documents previously filed by Costner’s attorneys, the actor agreed to pay $38,000 a month in child support in addition to “100% of certain child related costs, including private school tuition, books, fees and uniforms and school trips, children’s sports, camps and other agreed upon extracurricular activities,” as well as health insurance, unreimbursed medical expenses and therapy costs for their kids.

The actor’s court documents also show that Costner has already paid Baumgartner $1 million, as stipulated by the premarital agreement.

June 28, 2023: Kevin Costner claims Christine Baumgartner’s child support request is “inflated”

In a response to Baumgartner’s declaration of order, filed in the Superior Court of California, the Yellowstone actor called his ex’s request for $248,000 per month “highly inflated and unsubstantiated.”

“Guideline monthly child support based on Kevin’s gross cash flow available for support is $123,620,” the court document also stated.

Of their their three kids, Costner said, “Providing the minor children with more than bare necessities does not require providing ludicrous extravagance designed to primarily benefit the supported parent.”

June 30, 2023: Kevin Costner claims Christine Baumgartner’s “grasps at straws” as he requests she move out

In court documents filed June 30 and obtained by PEOPLE, the Oscar-winning actor’s legal team says Baumgartner “grasps at straws with one baseless argument after another,” as to why she should be allowed to stay.

Costner, the document continues, “respectfully requests that Christine be ordered to vacate his separate property residence forthwith and no later than July 13, 2023.”

July 5, 2023: Christine Baumgartner ordered to move out of home

Baumgartner will have to move out of her $145 million compound shared with Costner by the end of the month, a judge has ordered.

The couple was scheduled for a conference management hearing on July 5 where Judge Thomas Anderele denied Baumgartner’s request to move out of the home in August, according to Fox News and Yahoo.

“Kevin was happy yesterday with a prejudgment in his favor,” a source told PEOPLE of Anderele’s ruling.

Kevin Costner’s Wife Christine May Forfeit ‘All Rights’ to a Payout by Challenging Their Prenup

July 6, 2023: Kevin Costner increases his proposed child support amount

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Costner increased his proposed child support amount, but Baumgartner still feels the amount is “inappropriate,” according to court documents. In the latest filings, she calls her estranged husband’s updated offer of $51,940 per month “completely inappropriate.”

“Although Kevin has vast wealth and extraordinary income, he apparently expects his children to live far below his economic circumstances when they are with their mother,” Baumgartner’s lawyers wrote. (The former handbag designer, now unemployed, estimates the Yellowstone star’s cash flow last year to have been $2,043,241 per month.)

“While he resides in his $100 million-plus beachside compound and spends at least $240,000 per month on himself (with the children with him about 40% of the time), he thinks that his wife and their children should live on only 20% of that amount.”

Now, her side said they “believe that $217,300 is the correct figure because, historically, the children have spent far more time with Baumgartner than with Kevin due to Kevin’s out-of-town work schedule.”

She also is seeking that Costner “advance an additional $350,000 in attorney’s fees and $150,000 in forensic costs.”

July 7, 2023: Kevin Costner reduces Christine Baumgartner credit card limit

According to court documents filed on June 30, the Yellowstone actor alleged that his ex’s “assertion” he “has not maintained the status quo” for her and their three children following the pair’s split “is not only false” but “disingenuous in the extreme.”

“From the inception of this matter, Kevin has assured Christine that he would continue to maintain the status quo as to the children by paying 100% of the children’s expenses — and he has done so,” the document read. “The children’s expenses have all been paid by him.”

“Kevin was left with no choice but to reduce Christine’s credit card spending because Christine changed the status quo by charging more than $105,000 to divorce lawyers and forensic accountants, with no advance notice to him,” the document alleged.

July 10, 2023: Kevin Costner wants Christine Baumgartner to pay his legal fees for challenging prenup

Lester Cohen/Getty 

According to court documents filed July 10 and obtained by PEOPLE, Costner requested that Baumgartner pay his $99,225 in legal fees. (A court date about the matter is set for Aug. 2.)

Part of their prenup outlined that if either party retained counsel to “enforce or prevent a breach” of the agreement, “the prevailing party … shall be entitled … to be reimbursed by the non-prevailing party for all costs and expenses incurred thereby.”

Costner’s filing also “respectfully reminded” the court that he set aside $1.5 million in a bank account for Baumgartner as part of the prenup — funds she has said she doesn’t want to touch so as to jeopardize her legal standing in the divorce.

July 12, 2023: Judge shuts down Kevin Costner’s lawyers as he extends child support payments

The judge presiding over Costner and Baumgartner’s divorce extended the actor’s temporary monthly payments of $129,755 in child support.

The judge also denied the Yellowstone star’s lawyers’ request to settle the matter of child support before the trial date to determine the validity of challenging the couple’s prenuptial agreement on Nov. 27.

Costner’s attorneys also requested they have 10 days to review final forensic accountant files before the trial start dates for both the child support and prenuptial agreements since there are nearly 9,000 pages of forensic accounting documents so far.

The judge said an “evidentiary hearing is unlikely in the foreseeable future” on the matter of child support and that the tentative ruling stands in the meantime.

However, the ruling is retroactive, meaning that child support will have to be paid forward dating back to July 1 if changes are made in the final ruling of the case.

July 14, 2023: Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner dispute over who keeps bowls, silverware and other household items

According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, the California Superior Court judge presiding over the Costners’ divorce granted the Yellowstone star’s request for a motion that would block Baumgartner from removing certain items from the Santa Barbara, California, home where they lived during their marriage.

“Christine shall be permitted to remove her toiletries, clothing, handbags and jewelry,” according to the July 14 order signed by Judge Anderle. The former handbag designer is prohibited, however, from taking “any other items of property including, but not limited to, furniture, furnishings, appliances, and artwork.”

Also in a court filing obtained by PEOPLE, Costner and his legal team wrote that Baumgartner has allegedly “been taking cash advances” on “credit cards, issued not to her but to staff members” without his knowledge or consent.

Additionally, Costner claimed a car purchase Baumgartner made prior to their separation could indicate she was thinking ahead to an eventual split.

“Months before separation, although the parties had always leased their automobiles, without [Costner’s] knowledge or consent, [Christine] bought an expensive vehicle for her personal use (probably because the [prenuptial agreement] allows her to take that vehicle with her),” the documents read.

“Thus, it appears that [Christine] had been planning her exit long before she told [Costner] in April 2023.”

July 20, 2023: Christine Baumgartner spotted with financier on beach in Hawaii

Baumgartner was spotted on a Hawaiian beach with her kids, and photos first published by TMZ showed her also spending time with Josh Connor, a financier who lives near them in California, according to the outlet.

Baumgartner was also spotted enjoying some fun in the sun with her daughter Grace while vacationing in Hawaii. The actress walked along the beach and took selfies with her daughter while they posed by the water.

Kevin Costner Questions Estranged Wife’s Claim That She ‘Felt Pressured’ to Sign Prenup

July 28, 2023: Christine Baumgartner moves out of shared home with Kevin Costner

A day after Baumgartner was pictured running errands in Montecito, moving trucks were seen leaving the $145 million Santa Barbara compound that she has shared with Costner and their children during her 18-year marriage to the actor in photos obtained by Page Six and other outlets.

“Christine is following the legal advice per the prenup and is vacating the family house,” a source confirmed to PEOPLE, adding that she “will stay at a smaller house on the property that’s been used as a staff quarter.”

“This is a temporary solution,” the insider added. “She is still looking for another house. She is staying in the area to not disrupt the kids’ lives. They will be back at school in the fall with their friends.

“Christine is trying to keep everything as normal as possible. Her sole focus is the kids,” the source told PEOPLE.

August 2023: Source says Christine Baumgartner is “happy” after moving out

Baumgartner was legally ordered on July 5 to move out of their $145 million Santa Barbara estate by July 31. A few days before the deadline, an insider confirmed to PEOPLE that she was vacating.

A separate family source exclusively told PEOPLE in August that Christine is “relieved” and “happy” to have moved out of the family home. “Christine hopes there will be less drama now,” the family source told PEOPLE.

“Kevin got what he wanted,” the insider continued. “She is out of the family house. Christine is relieved about it. She is happy to move on.”

August 10, 2023: Kevin Costner accuses Christine Baumgartner of “gamesmanship of the worst sort”

Attorneys for Costner accused the actor’s estranged wife Baumgartner and her legal team of “gamesmanship of the worst sort” in new court documents relating to their divorce.

In a request for order filed in California Superior Court Aug. 10 and obtained by PEOPLE, attorneys for the Yellowstone star asked the court to compel Baumgartner to explicitly answer a number of questions they have put to her about the Costners’ premarital agreement.

However, lawyers claim Baumgartner has avoided answering questions — including whether or not she understood the agreement before she signed it — throughout the discovery process as both legal teams prepare for the November trial to determine the validity of the prenup.

Also in the court documents filed by Kevin’s legal team on August 10, his lawyers pushed back at Baumgartner’s side for now claiming she “felt pressured to sign the agreement because of the circumstances surrounding its execution” and “didn’t fully understand it.” “This, after she previously admitted she entered the agreement under her own “free will,” the lawyers wrote.

August 21, 2023: Christine Baumgartner accuses Kevin Costner of “withholding” evidence of his finances

Baumgartner’s attorney asked Costner to produce documents related to all his business dealings, including financial information regarding his film Horizon. Her lawyer has since accused the actor of “withholding” and “stonewalling” ahead of the child support hearing and premarital agreement trial.

In response, Costner’s attorney called the request “burdensome, oppressive and harassing.”

August 24, 2023: Kevin Costner says he did not have an affair in new court documents

Costner, in new divorce court documents, says he did not have an affair while adding that he “does not know for a fact” whether Baumgartner did.

Kevin Costner’s Ex Christine Cries During Child Support Hearing, Attorney Says Luxury Is in Kids’ ‘DNA’

August 31, 2023: Christine Baumgartner cries during child support hearing

Gregg DeGuire/Getty

During the exes’ child-support hearing on Aug. 31, Baumgartner’s attorney John Rydell said that living a luxurious life is “in their DNA at this point,” referring to the kids, and listed all the sports they are involved in and houses the family owns.

Baumgartner also flipped through evidentiary photos and choked up while telling the court, “It’s so much more than this — it’s an experience.” She added, “We’ve created quite a community,” while repeatedly referring to every part of the Santa Barbara compound she has vacated as “ours.”

August 31-September 1, 2023: Christine Baumgartner and Kevin Costner talk next steps

Both Costner and Baumgartner, who wed in 2004, got emotional while testifying during the proceedings, and shared what they saw as their next steps after the breakup.

Baumgartner testified that she is considering going back to school for a college degree. “I will look into the steps I need to take and any schooling I need to do, and I will enter the workforce,” she said on the stand about how she’ll support herself in the future.

When Costner took the stand, he admitted “my world’s been a little shook up” as a result of the split. Addressing how he plans to move forward, the Oscar winner said, “I have to take care of obligations that are already in place, I have a lot of responsibilities I have to take care of.”

“I need to figure out how I’m going to spend more time with the children, walk them through this process,” he added. “I am going to need to take some time for myself. … I have a lot to contemplate — what I have to do versus what I want to do.”

September 1, 2023: Kevin Costner ordered to pay Christine Baumgartner 63K per month in child support

Costner was ordered to pay his estranged wife $63,209 per month in child support, granting the actor his proposed amount after a two-day court hearing in Santa Barbara.

The Yellowstone alum made comments about his estranged wife during a lunch break amid the two-day hearing. When asked whether he “still has love” for his estranged wife by a reporter, Costner replied, “Of course.”

September 6, 2023: Christine Baumgartner ordered to pay $14K of Kevin Costner’s divorce attorney fees

Costner’s estranged wife was ordered to pay a portion of the actor’s divorce attorney fees, totaling $14,237.50. The development resulted in Judge Thomas Anderle’s ruling on Sept. 6 that Baumgartner must cover over $14K of Kevin’s legal costs that he says he accrued while trying to obtain answers about her understanding of their prenuptial agreement.

Judge Anderle, during the ruling, emphasized that this is “certainly a case of consequence.”

September 19, 2023: Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner settle their divorce

Costner and estranged wife Baumgartner settled their divorce, following months of legal back and forth.

“Kevin and Christine Costner have come to an amicable and mutually agreed upon resolution of all issues pertaining to their divorce proceedings,” a rep for Costner said in a joint statement for the duo.

TMZ was the first to report the news of the settlement.

February 16, 2024: Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner finalize their divorce

After months of legal sparring, the exes finalized their divorce. Coster and Baumgartner also requested that they be excused from completing a mandated co-parenting course.

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