Kevin Costner Wants His Legal Fees Covered By Estranged Wife

Kevin Costner & Christine Baumgartner's divorce battle heats up as the "Yellowstone" actor makes an audacious demand to shift the financial burden of his legal fees onto his estranged wife.

The couple, who share three children, announced their separation in 2023 after almost two decades of marriage. While divorces are no strangers to the glitz and glamor of Hollywood, this particular case has continued to take intriguing twists as the pair continue to make several demands of each other. 

The 68-year-old is demanding that his former partner shoulders the burden of his substantial $99,225 legal fees for litigating their prenup. Their prenuptial agreement, which addresses legal representation in case of breaches, stipulates that:

"the prevailing party ... shall be entitled ... to be reimbursed by the non-prevailing party for all costs and expenses incurred thereby."

The three-time Golden Globe Awards winner's filing also "respectfully reminded" the court of the $1.5 million he had set aside in a bank account for the 49-year-old as per their agreement. However, Baumgartner had expressed her reluctance to make use of these funds, fearing it could impact her legal position in their ongoing divorce proceedings.

The former handbag designer and her legal team previously requested that the "Yellowstone" star provide an additional $350,000 for attorney's fees and $150,000 for forensic costs. These requests are motivated by the significant difference in resources between the two parties.

Furthermore, her filing directly addressed Costner's insistence that she should be responsible for covering his legal fees. Criticizing his stance, it pointed out that her former husband claims the pre-marital agreement (PMA) is valid and dismisses any evidence challenging its validity. Their response to this is a poignant analogy, stating that his position is akin to "whistling past the graveyard" in legal terms.

Baumgartner's filing also argues, "Kevin's focus on the PMA at this point is premature and is completely irrelevant to Christine's RFO for child support and fees…." They assert that the complexities of the award-winning actor's finances and his efforts to minimize his obligations to their children will result in substantial fees and costs.

Nevertheless, the request for legal fees is just the latest development in the estranged couple's divorce battle. Earlier, The Blast reported that the mother-of-three indicated her willingness to leave their opulent mansion. 

However, the entrepreneur made it clear that she has one essential condition: she seeks assurances that her financial stability will not be compromised by her impending divorce from the "Bodyguard" star.

According to the filings, Baumgartner has consented to leave the property by August 31 of this year, allowing her 50 days to find a new home to get comfortable in. Notably, this extended timeframe surpasses the original provision in their prenuptial agreement, which initially required her to depart within 30 days of the divorce filing on May 1.

While taking legal action against the TV personality, Baumgartner alleged that his conduct throughout their divorce proceedings exhibited a "lack of maturity."

According to documents acquired by The Blast, she believes that the Costner's proposed monthly support amount of $51,000, is significantly below the expected standard given his substantial income.

Persisting in her fight against the "Man of Steel" star, she stated, "I cannot provide housing and care for the children at anything close to their accustomed lifestyle with the $51,000/mo. Kevin proposes to pay in child support." 

She emphasized that this amount is entirely insufficient to support their three teenage children, especially considering Costner's claimed net worth of $215,000,000. 

The "Cat Bag Couture" owner alleged that during their separation, the "For Love of the Game" star canceled a visit to see their children at their shared home due to a disagreement over the "primary bedroom." According to her account:

"There is simply no reason to have any confrontation about the primary bedroom. We had an extremely peaceful interaction during his last trip home in May, and during that visit, I gave Kevin the bedroom."

She also expressed her bewilderment at the unnecessary confrontation surrounding this issue, stating, "Kevin's conduct on this issue reflects a lack of maturity and willingness to amicably cooperate as co-parents."