“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 the actor told NBC News in a statement on Sept. 19.
The settlement comes after months of court filings and heated negotiations between the two that began in May when Baumgartner filed for divorce.
The estranged couple’s split has been contentious, with Costner and Baumgartner disagreeing on the terms of child support, financial assets and their prenuptial agreement.
Before the divorce, Baumgartner, who met the “Yellowstone“ star, 68, in 2004, had largely kept out of the spotlight during the former couple’s time together, but she made her own mark long ago as a handbag designer.
Here’s everything to know about Baumgartner, her career and her relationship with Costner.
What is the status of Costner and Baumgartner’s divorce?
As of Sept. 19, the former couple have now reached an “amicable” divorce settlement, according to a rep for Cosnter.
After Baumgartner filed for divorce in May, Costner’s legal team responded with court documents that were filed June 9 and obtained by NBC News,
The documents alleged that Baumgartner refused to move out of her husband’s home in the Santa Barbara area of California. Baumgartner was later ordered by a judge to vacate the family home by July 31.
According to documents filed Aug. 24, Baumgartner was living in a “vacation rental” until Sept. 1 before moving into a “month-to-month rental in Montecito,” paying $40,000 per month.
Filings from throughout the summer demonstrate that the former couple have struggled to agree throughout the divorce proceedings, largely on adequate child support payment.
In a declaration filed on June 16 in the Santa Barbara County Superior Court and obtained by NBC News, Baumgartner requested that Costner pay her $248,000 a month in child support for their three teenage children. In July, the court issued a tentative ruling requiring Costner to pay just under $130,000.
But in court documents filed Aug. 24 by Baumgartner’s team, she requested that the child support sum increase to $175,057 a month.
Baumgartner’s camp argued that “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,” the filing states.
Baumgartner has stated in court documents that she has been a stay-at-home parent since welcoming the couple’s oldest child, son Cayden, in 2007, and “continues to be the children’s primary caretaker.”
On Sept. 1, as seen in docs obtained by NBC News, a judge ordered Costner to pay $63,209 per month in child support. This amount was a fraction of Baumgartner’s most recent request.
The judge stated in the docs that the children’s “‘reasonable needs’ include occupancy of one of the homes, not all of them,” and that the “reasonable needs of the children are fully met by this child support order.” Costner will also be responsible for their medical and educational costs, those associated with extracurricular activities, their son’s car and various other expenses.
TODAY.com reached out to Costner and Baumgartner following the judge’s ruling but did not hear back.
The couple were scheduled to go to trial in November over the validity of their prenuptial agreement.
Who is Christine Baumgartner?
Baumgartner, who is Costner’s second wife, has been designing handbags for nearly two decades for her own company, Cat Bag Couture. She told the Denver Post in 2005 that she got her start by creating stylish laptop covers, and Costner cheered her on.
“When I came up with some samples, I showed them to Kevin, and he said they were beautiful and amazing,” she recalled. “He told me I should take it to the next step and he’d help me. I’ve always loved fashion and style, and if you can mix it with function, it’s perfect.”
Baumgartner’s friends loved the laptop covers so much, they suggested she branch out. “Some of the girls I know would ask me to make a bag, so I started sketching styles for day and evening,” she said, noting that many of her bags are named for family members and friends who inspire her.
“I love classic women who are strong and feminine,” she explained.
When did Baumgartner and Costner meet?
Baumgartner first met Costner on a golf course in the’ 80s, per People. At the time, the actor was still married to his first wife, Cindy Silva, with whom he shares three children: daughters Annie, 39 and Lily, 36, and son Joe, 35.
Costner and Silva divorced in 1994. Costner then briefly dated girlfriend Bridget Rooney, the mother of his son Liam, 26.
After splitting with Silva in 1998, Costner ran into Baumgartner at a restaurant and they began dating. “We exchanged numbers, and I told her that I would — did she mind if I called her in two weeks. I did not realize that was like an insult to a woman,” Costner told People in 2003.
When did Baumgartner and Costner marry?
Baumgartner and Costner tied the knot in a fairytale wedding in September 2004 at the Oscar winner’s 160-acre ranch, The Dunbar, near Aspen, Colorado. Costner arrived to the even in a horse-drawn carriage while his bride arrived in a vintage pickup truck, according to People.
How many children do Baumgartner and Costner share?
The former couple share three children together: sons Cayden, 16, and Hayes, 15, and daughter Grace, 13.
Why did Baumgartner file for divorce?
It’s unclear what prompted Baumgartner to file for divorce.
The news of the couple’s breakup came less than three months after Costner posted a video of himself in February on Instagram that showed him opening a box containing the Golden Globe award he won the month prior for his role on “Yellowstone.”
In the video, Costner explained that he and Baumgartner wanted to attend the awards ceremony in Los Angeles — with Baumgartner having already chosen a dress — but they had been thwarted at the last minute due to flooding in Southern California.
The news also arrived amid rumors that Costner wouldn’t return after the show’s fifth season.
A rep for Costner confirmed the pair’s split to NBC News on May 2, “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.
“We ask that his, Christine’s and their children’s privacy be respected as they navigate this difficult time.”