Kevin Costner’s Estranged Wife Lashes out Over ‘Inappropriate’ Child Support Offer

Kevin Costner‘s estranged wife, Christine Baumgartner, is seeking additional child support, claiming he’s only offering $51,940 per month, which she considers insufficient. The new legal documents obtained by TMZ reveal that Baumgartner calls Costner’s child support proposal “completely inappropriate,” because it appears that Costner expects their children to live significantly below his means when they’re with their mother instead of subsisting on his income. According to her, the actor spends $240,000 per month on himself and his kids when they are with him, which is a vast difference from the $51,940 he expects her to require to take care of the kids when they are with her. Baumgartner believes that the almost $52K was not enough to provide a comfortable life for the children since the amount was well below the $65,000 per month Costner was earning for renting out a guest house on his $100 million seaside compound, where the Costner family lived together. The mother contends that she will not be able to provide their kids with the quality of life that they are accustomed to on $52k a month, claiming it will be insufficient for them to find similar housing or maintain their lifestyle.

Throughout the documents, Baumgartner says that at the current amount, her kids would be in for a drastic lifestyle downgrade once she moves them out of Costner’s house. She notes there are a number of things their children are used to, such as being close to the beach and in a gated community. Baumgartner doesn’t think she will be able to provide these things for the kids at $52K a month. There are other expenses that Baumgartner cites that she does not have money for, like utilities and TV bills, that require the money as well. She also says the kids are used to having a team of people hired to maintain the home and the property, including assistants and helpers who handle schedules, grocery shopping, food prep, cleaning, and cooking. According to previous reports, the Yellowstone actor is undergoing a contentious divorce, with his $250 million net worth at the center, despite their ironclad pre-nuptial agreement. 

Kevin Costner's Estranged Wife Fighting Him Over Child Support, Scoffs at $51K https://t.co/pnvTx0tAXC

— TMZ (@TMZ) July 6, 2023

As prenup details indicate, Costner has already paid Baumgartner a $1 million cash settlement and has offered $30k toward moving expenses. But Baumgartner allegedly wants more money. In addition to requesting $248,000 a month in child support, Baumgartner is also asking that Costner cover all the costs of private-school tuition, extracurricular activities and sports, and health care expenses for Baumgartner, but Costner says Baumgartner wants to keep the money for herself. TMZ obtained court documents that Costner submitted in response to Baumgartner’s request for child support from him. A forensic accountant hired by the Bodyguard alum claims Baumgartner added more than $100,000 to a list of expenses for her own cosmetic surgery procedures. Aside from the child support payments, Costner’s team claims that there are also thousands of dollars in shopping experiences, large sums of ATM withdrawals, and other expenses that are unrelated to the child support payments.