‘Yellowstone’ star Kevin Costner and estranged wife Christine Baumgartner’s divorce battle returned to court Wednesday
Costner had previously requested the court have Baumgartner pay “reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs incurred” in the amount of $14,237.50 after she “refused in bad faith” to answer questions sent to her by the “Yellowstone” actor’s legal team, according to legal documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
Despite Judge Thomas Anderle ordering Baumgartner to pay Costner’s attorneys fees, he did deny some other parts of Costner’s request. Baumgartner must submit her answers to Costner’s questions approved by the judge, and pay the $14,000 by Sept. 22.
Baumgartner’s request for order, filed Aug. 21, was also denied. She had asked the court to order Costner to hand over financial documents and have him pay nearly $9,000 in attorneys’ fees. “I spent a lot of time trying to capture exactly what it is you didn’t have,” Anderle said in court.
Costner and Baumgartner did not appear in court Wednesday. Fox News Digital has reached out to representatives for both parties.
Costner also took home a win in the ongoing divorce court battle with Baumgartner on Friday. A judge ruled Costner’s monthly child support payments would not be increased following two days of tense testimony. Judge Anderle’s ruling made the new monthly child support payments $63,209. Costner is also solely responsible for the children’s health care, private school tuition, extracurricular activities and the couple’s oldest son’s car expenses.
Baumgartner had requested the payment be increased by $31,837 for a monthly total of $161,592. It had been temporarily set at $129,755.
“Support greater than $63,209 per month is disguised spousal support,” Anderle wrote in his filed decision. “Christine will have her opportunity to convince the Court that she is entitled to spousal support.”
The “Field of Dreams” star exclusively told Fox News Digital he feels there was “no winner” after court ended.
“You know, when you have a life that long with somebody, there is no winner… and it’s this big, crazy thing called life and how it unravels so quickly,” he said. “One minute you feel like you’re on top of the world, and then you realize how, you know, how vulnerable you are.”
As for his co-parenting plan with Baumgartner moving forward, Costner is certain the former couple will figure it out. “She’s an incredible mom,” he told Fox News Digital. “We will figure it out and we’ll share. We’ve just got to kind of convalesce right now.”
The amount Baumgartner requested for child support was a “mistake,” a legal expert told Fox News Digital.
“I would never have challenged $129,000 a month award and said it was insufficient,” Brett Ward, partner and co-chair of the Matrimonial & Family Law Practice at Blank Rome, said. “That is more than… the vast majority of people make in a year. And she was getting it in a month. And to go to a court and say that was insufficient for a lifestyle I think was a mistake.”
The celebrity attorney, who is not involved in this case, explained the ruling seemed to be a “warning sign” to Baumgartner as the couple gears up for a trial over the validity of the premarital agreement in November.
“Probably won’t impact it too much, but to me, it was definitely a warning sign that greed isn’t going to be what controls here, that we’re going to apply some reason to this process,” Ward explained. “And I do think that she walked out of that court weakened, and I would think twice about going too far with the arguments related to the prenuptial agreement.”
Baumgartner testified Thursday about her future plans for employment and an alleged “boyfriend,” whom she claimed was a longtime friend of the family and nothing more.
Costner’s lawyer, Jacqueline Misho, asked Baumgartner if she planned to become employed. She previously testified that she would need to finish school to become employable and would like to work with kids. Baumgartner told Misho, “I think I would need to go to college — get my degree.”
“I have no idea what’s coming in the next year,” she said about her intentions to become employed.
Costner took the stand Friday and spoke about his finances, exposing the drama surrounding his “Yellowstone” salary amid the end of the Paramount Network show. Additionally, the actor noted that his world has “been shook up” by the divorce. “So, there’s a few things I have to do with this seismic change.”
“There’s a few responsibilities I can’t run away from,” he explained. “Mostly what I have to do is figure out how to spend more time with the children and help walk them through this… spend a little time with myself.”
Baumgartner first filed for divorce from Costner in May, citing the date of separation as April 11. The couple share three children together: Caden, Hayes and Grace.