Kevin Costner’s Ex-Wife Wants Child Support To Cover Luxury Private Trips For Her & Kids
By Afouda Bamidele on August 31, 2023 at 3:30 PM EDT
Kevin Costner's estranged wife, Christine Baumgartner, is arguing that the already-decided child support won't cut it — she wants their three children to continue living lavishly.
The handbag designer is not letting her estranged husband get off easy with paying $129k per month in child support. Baumgartner filed docs asking the court to reconsider the amount of child support the "Yellowstone" star pays due to some factors, including maintaining the same standard of living when the kids are with her.
Christine Baumgartner, Kevin Costner's Ex Challenges Set Child Support Fee
The former couple share three teenage children, Cayden, 15, Hayes, 14, and 12-year-old Grace. While they have found common ground on joint custody during their divorce proceedings, the two are still combatting over how much financial support the kids' mother is entitled to.
Ahead of their August 31 hearing, the mom-of-three asked a court to order the "Hidden Figure" actor to pay nearly $200,000 in monthly child support — an increase of $46,000 — from the agreed-upon amount. Costner's ex-wife requests this staggering amount in child support until their children turn 18.
"The Court is required to set child support at a level that, when the children are with Christine, they live a lifestyle relatively comparable to the one they enjoy when they are with their father," Baumgartner's legal team wrote in a brief obtained by US Weekly.
The message continued and read, "The Court order must allow the children to be supported at a level commensurate with Kevin's considerable wealth, even if that level of support also improves the standard of living of Christine."
Baumgartner's legal team said their children should live in a "comparable house" to Costner's when they are in their mom's custody. Additionally, they noted that the children should be able to go on "comparable vacations" when they're with her, which includes flying private.
Her lawyers stated in the brief: "Because the children fly on private aircraft to go on luxury vacations when they are with their father, the Family Code dictates that Kevin should pay sufficient child support to Christine so that the children can go on comparable vacations when they are with her."
"In this case, the guideline child support requested by Christine of $175,057 per month will not be sufficient to replicate Kevin's lifestyle, but it will be sufficient to allow her to provide a lifestyle for the children which is relatively comparable," the lawyers explained.
It wasn't too long ago that The Blast reported the mum-of-three's attorney defended her request for increased child support. "Kevin will argue that Christine doesn't need to provide the children with many of the things to which they have become accustomed, as they can enjoy those things with Kevin," the law professionals stated and then added:
"She was and continues to be the children's primary caretaker. In 2022, Kevin was gone from Santa Barbara on location or on tour for several months. For the first six months of 2023, he was gone at least 50% of the time."
The latest figures in the divorce determined that "Kevin's cash flow available for support (based on the two calendar years 2021 and 2022) is at least $1,600,000 per month." Plus, he has "at least $17,000,000 in cash sitting in his personal accounts."
In addition, the "A Perfect World" actor made a stunning amount of money on 'Yellowstone,' and was "paid approximately $11,000,000 for Season 4 ($1,100,000 per episode), and $10,000,000 for Season 5 ($1,250,000 per episode)."
Kevin Costner And His Kids Vacation In Canada Amid Courts Drama
The divorce drama aside, the "Waterworld" star does know how to give his children—seven in total— a luxury trip. The Blast noted that shortly after the initial child support verdict in July was announced, the doting father had some quality family time with his and Baumgartner's three children.
However, the "pre-planned" getaway with his daughter and two sons had prevented him from appearing in court on Wednesday, July 12. "The Bodyguard" actor scheduled a gateway to British Columbia, Canada, with the teens months before the court date was adjourned recently.
As to the ex-couple's pact on custody and why their teenage children were spending time with the Oscar-winning actor without supervision, Costner's legal team wrote in the papers:
"The children are teenagers and may come and go between his home and Christine's home once she finds a new residence."
