Kevin Costner wins ugly child support battle with estranged wife Christine Baumgartner: Judge slashes sum she receives for their three children in HALF to $63,000 a month

Kevin Costner has scored a dramatic victory in his divorce battle with estranged wife Christine Baumgartner after a judge in Santa Barbara slashed her child support payments to $63,000 per month – less than half of the $129,000 she currently gets and considerably less than the $161,000 she wanted.

The judgement came at the end of a two day evidentiary hearing which saw both sides set out what they believed to be a ‘reasonable’ amount of child support and why.

After the verdict, Costner said there were ‘no winners’ in the bruising battle.

‘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 told Fox News Digital. 

‘One minute you feel like you’re on top of the world, and then you realize how, you know, how vulnerable you are.’ 

He said he and Baumgartner would eventually work out a fair custody arrangement, and praised her as a mother.

‘She’s an incredible mom,’ he said. ‘We will figure it out and we’ll share. We just got to kind of convalesce right now.’ 

Costner took the stand for a second time during the final hour of the hearing and told the court that his biggest fear was being forced to take on jobs he didn’t want to should Baumgartner be awarded an ‘inflated’ level of child support.

He also apologized to his estranged wife of 18 years, saying: ‘I want to help but the thought of having things inflated to the point I can’t do what I want to do…

‘Somehow in this unusual world, we didn’t make it and for that, I’m sorry.’

There will be a trial in November over the prenuptial agreement and her request for spousal support.

The 68-year-old star took the stand Friday morning and was grilled by his estranged wife Christine Baumgartner’s legal team 

The hearing concerns the future of their three children: sons Cayden, 15, Hayes, 14, and daughter Grace, 13 

Costner and Baumgartner are pictured during their September 2004 wedding at his Aspen ranch

The hearing was at the request of Baumgartner’s team – who had scored a victory of their own in June when child support was temporarily set at $129,000.

But that was overturned by Judge Thomas Anderle who decided that her request for child support totaling $161,000 per month was excessive, and above what the three Costner children would ‘reasonably need’.

She had argued that her new $40,000-per-month property was not ‘comparable’ to Costner’s $73m beachside pad, and argued that the children should spend their time with her at a $150,000-a-month beachside home she was hoping to rent once her six-month lease is up.

Baumgartner also complained her new property does not have an ocean view and said the standard of living at the new house could not compare to that of the marital home.

A move back to the beach is now unlikely to happen unless she wins a second trial in November where her team will argue that she should get spousal support – even though she signed a prenup that allowed for a single lump sum payment of $1.5m that she has already received.

Costner looked stunned on hearing the verdict, while a crestfallen Baumgartner stood up on hearing the news and quickly conferred with her legal team. 

Both slipped out of court via a back exit.

Costner is seen as John Dutton in Yellowstone, the smash-hit Paramount series

Costner was not only the primary breadwinner, but the only person making money recently, and Baumgartner says in her filing that she has no income 

The dramatic judgment came at the end of a day that saw Costner testify twice – first as a witness for his wife and later for himself.

He told the court: ‘My biggest concern is that the court orders me to pay child support that is above the reasonable needs of the children, that it’s not what they need but what Christine needs.

‘I could run out of cash very quickly and that could force me to take jobs I don’t want to do and work later than I want to work.’

He added: ‘My homes in Aspen and here, I could lose them. I have spent my whole life building them as places for me and my family and friends. I didn’t get good grades but for sharing, the column has always said A.’

Much of the financial discussion centered on smash hit show Yellowstone, with Costner telling court he had been in negotiations to do season six but Paramount walked away after baulking at his salary demands.

He also told court that his current Horizon film project – which he has invested $23m of his own cash into – is a risk but he eventually hopes to earn a $12m salary from all four films plus a cut of the profits. He could not say when or how much that would be as none of the films have been released.

Baumgartner had claimed he spends $240,000-a-month in living costs but forensic accountant Tracy Katz pointed out much of the spending in the calculations included her own outlay.

According to Katz, who is working for Costner, Baumgartner’s share of that total included $18,000 on medical bills, $18,855 on clothing and $3,377 on beauty treatments.

On top of that, the 49-year-old was responsible for the lion’s share of the $8,886 in cash taken out at ATM machines according to Katz.

The embattled couple will return to court on Wednesday for a shorter hearing which will include Judge Anderle’s decision on who pays legal costs.

Baumgartner’s team is requesting Costner pays a projected legal bill of over $800,000 while the actor racked up a tab of more than $600,000 between May and the end of July.

Costner’s testimony followed a morning dominated by wrangling over figures and whether or not the actor’s tax liabilities had been taken into account.

At one point, the actor was seen nodding in agreement when his attorney Susan Wiesner got forensic accountant Jill Bombino to accept his tax payments had not been deducted from her figures.

Rydell claimed that was because Costner failed to turn his tax returns over to his wife’s team.

Her team say his fees from the Paramount show should be included as part of his total income, while his team say they should not – describing it as past and not future income.

Costner cut a laconic figure on the stand, frequently making quips and drawing chuckles from onlookers but turned serious when the discussion turned towards the revenues he has made from Yellowstone.

Having been shown a breakdown of his fees from the shows, he said: ‘I was concerned about the first three years. I thought I made $5m.’

Told he made more, he deadpanned: ‘Oh good. I thought we were going to have to launch a treasure hunt to find it.’

Costner told court he had originally agreed to make seasons five, six and seven of the Western series and had negotiated a fee of $12m for each.

But season five was bifurcated into season 5A and 5B – each with eight episodes. He told court he had rearranged his schedule to shoot 5B – even moving filming of his movie Horizon to accommodate it – for which he charged a ‘$10m push fee’ that was plowed into the movie budget.

But by the time he was ready to film last fall, work on scripts for 5B hadn’t been completed, leaving him with a gap in his schedule.

Costner says negotiations over season six continued in February and again in May over money and ‘creative differences’, but he says Paramount eventually walked away after he asked for $12m to film that season.

He said: ‘It’s a little disappointing that the No.1 show on television is not producing. I’ll probably go to court over it. I’m disappointed in the production.’

Talk also turned to Costner’s four part series of films – Horizon – which he has funded to the tune of $20m and owns a third share in.

Horizon one and two are complete and Costner said he expects a fee of $12m for each one but has deferred that payment for now to avoid overstretching the film’s budget.

Challenged over why he didn’t just take the $24m fee he is owed, Costner said: ‘I would have liked to have it. I think anyone would but I did what I thought was right.’

Asked if he expects to make a profit on Horizon once it is released, he drawled: ‘Boy, I’d like it to roll.’

Costner said during his testimony that he will ‘probably go to court’ over smash hit series Yellowstone

Costner frequently made quips and drew chuckles from onlookers but turned serious when the discussion turned towards the revenues he has made from Yellowstone

Costner’s lawyer accused Baumgartner of making ‘unreasonable’ financial demands 

His attorney Laura Wasser made a short opening statement.

In it, she accused Baumgartner of making ‘unreasonable’ financial demands and poured cold water on the notion that the Costner children care about ocean views and what happens at their father’s Aspen ranch when they are not there.

Wasser told court the Costner family ‘do not live like movie stars’, adding that the children do not wear designer clothes or drive expensive cars, and attend regular public schools.

She told court Costner no longer owns his own private jet and added: ‘But even in LA, I have never seen a child support request this high.’

Wasser and Costner say Baumgartner plans to live off the child support payments, despite having already received a $1.5m payout – an amount specified in the former couple’s prenuptial agreement in the event of a divorce.

She also described Baumgartner’s much-maligned new home as ‘stunning’ and pointed out it has features such as a jacuzzi, which Costner’s property does not have.

Concluding, Wasser described Baumgartner’s demands as ‘overreach’ and noted that there will be a trial in November over the prenuptial agreement and her request for spousal support.

Both Costner and Baumgartner arrived early for the second day, with Costner sneaking in through a side door a navy blue tailored suit. Baumgartner wore a black slacks and a white blouse.

Costner’s new role is due to his ongoing divorce battle with the pair fighting over child support payments – he wants to pay $60,000 per month while she is demanding $161,592.

On the opening day of the two-day hearing, the court heard how Costner rakes in $1,468,953 per month and lives in a sprawling beachfront property with five lots inside that is worth between $75m and $95m according to Baumgartner.

She is currently renting a luxury home for $40,000-a-month but says it isn’t good enough for their family and wants to trade up to a $150,000-a-month home close to her old one if she can get her child support payments bumped up.

During her testimony, Baumgartner described the family’s lavish lifestyle – including Christmas parties that saw the pair ship 40 tons of snow to sunny Santa Barbara and Aspen vacations at Costner’s 160,000-acre ranch. Additionally, the family reportedly spends $40,000 per month on flowers and gifts.

But things turned edgy when the subject of Josh Connor – a family friend who she traveled to Hawaii with last month – was raised.

Baumgartner’s lawyer spoke of the family’s lavish lifestyle when in Aspen, Colorado – describing how the ranch has sledding trails that light up at night and have music piped through the trees, as well as multiple canoes and fishing lakes

Baumgartner was talked through her two recent vacations to Hawaii in March and July with Josh Connor – who she described as a ‘family friend’. They’re pictured in Hawaii in July  

Costner has accused her of being in a relationship with recently-divorced Connor. As a result, Baumgartner was forced to deny the pair were an item on the stand and was made to attempt to explain two envelopes of cash he gave her – each containing $10,000.

One was handed to her mother who, until the separation, had been enjoying monthly payments of $5,000-a-month towards her mortgage.

Baumgartner says she kept the other at home and eventually returned it to Connor ‘because I don’t need the money right now.’

She told the court he had dropped the envelopes in her purse after she had confided in him that she was worried about her finances due to the ongoing divorce battle.

The mom-of-three also had to admit she had borrowed $80,000 from her brother to pay the first installment of the rent on her new home but blamed that on Costner who, she said, had previously deducted cash from her current child support payments.

She said she had since reimbursed her brother for the money but squirmed when asked by Susan Wiesner – one of Costner’s attorneys – whether she plans to get a job or is in fact planning to pay her bills using the child support she is awarded.

The 49-year-old also became sharp when Wiesner pointed out she bought her parents a $50,000 BMW SUV each at the end of 2022 and beginning of 2023 and had acquired a membership at the Montecito Country Club for herself and her family around the same time.

Membership fees at the luxury golf club start at $100,000 but can cost as much as $275,000 for the top tier.

Prior to that, Baumgartner also spent a long time explaining why her new residence doesn’t offer her children a ‘comparable’ lifestyle to the one they have with their father.

Adjusting a pair of white-framed glasses and speaking confidently, she talked the court through a series of photos of Costner’s Carpinteria property – among them pictures showing the bleached wood deck, an infinity pool overlooking the ocean, a chicken coop and two guest homes. 

Interior shots showed decor designed to chime with what she described as ‘California living’ with colorful striped rugs, tan leather couches and a huge marble table with dark wooden chairs overlooking the ocean. 

Baumgartner, who introduced herself to the court as ‘Costner’, also told of the family’s sporty lifestyle which includes regular surfing, fishing, scuba diving and volleyball. 

That includes a boat owned by their son Cayden, 16, and a dedicated room set aside to hold the family’s large collection of surfboards, wetsuits and paddle boards. 

Costner has accused her of being in a relationship with recently divorced Connor. As a result, Baumgartner was forced to deny the pair were an item on the stand and was made to attempt to explain two envelopes of cash he gave her – each containing $10,000

The Carpinteria property consists of five separate lots, one of which is a former neighbor’s residence purchased in 2016 and now used as a guesthouse, as well as a site for ‘sitting by the fire and roasting marshmallows’ and holding family celebrations. 

In his opening statement, Baumgartner’s lawyer John Rydell referenced the eye watering sums involved – telling court Costner rakes in more than $1.4m per month. 

During his deposition two weeks ago, the Dances with Wolves star put his monthly living expenses at $240,000 but wants to pay his ex no more than $60,000 per month. 

In the latest deposition Katz claims that most of that $240,000 figure is money that Baumgartner spent on herself, including $18,000 in medical bills, $18,855 on clothing, and $3,377 on beauty treatments. She also is reportedly responsible for the bulk of their ATM withdrawals, amounting to $8,886. 

Rydell also spoke of the family’s lavish lifestyle when in Aspen, Colorado – describing how the ranch has sledding trails that light up at night and have music piped through the trees, as well as multiple canoes and fishing lakes. 

According to Rydell, the property is currently being rented out for an eye-watering $50,000 per day.