Kevin Costner has always spoken of his now ex-wife Christine Baumgartner with fondness so the news of them divorcing after 19 years of marriage came as a shock not only to the couple’s fans but to the actor himself.
However, people close to the couple say Christine, who was the one to file for divorce, allegedly warned her husband that she would leave him had he continued be absent from home because of work.
Apparently, Costner’s absence was ‘hard’ for Baumgartner who wanted him to spend more time at home with his family in Santa Barbara.
“During filming, Kevin is not around very much. His absence has been very hard for her,” a source reportedly said. Another insider reported that while Costner was aware that his wife was not happy in their marriage, her filing for divorce was nonetheless a shock to him.
“Christine doesn’t want him to throw himself into another project. He has been obsessed with filming Horizon since last year. She wasn’t happy about it,” a source reported.
“At times, his career has taken precedence over his home life,” another source added.
“All of this success and excitement over the new project probably took his attention away from his family more than he realized. Since it didn’t look like that would change and likely could get worse, it caused tension at home,” the source added.
Christine cited “irreconcilable differences” and a spokesperson of the actor said in a statement, “It is with great sadness that circumstances beyond Mr. Costner’s control 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.”
Baumgartner was seeking $161,000 a month in child support for their three children, Cayden Wyatt, 15, Hayes Logan, 14, and Grace Avery, 13.
In order to try and guarantee this income, Baumgartner went to court, but it was Costner who scored the victory, as per his fans, although the actor said there were ‘no winners’ in the bruising battle.
Namely, a judge in Santa Barbara slashed Baumgartner’s child support payments to $63,000 per month, which is less than half of the $129,000 she currently gets and considerably less than the $161,000 she asked for.
“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,” the actor 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 added.
However, following the tough period he’s gone through, it seems like the Yellowstone star has found new love.
There have been speculations circulating that Costner is dating singer Jewel.
The two were recently seen together at a tennis event on Richard Branson’s Necker Island for the Inspiring Children Foundation.
As per TMZ, the two took a plane to the Caribbean and spent nearly a week together.
An insider told the magazine, “There was definitely something going on,” confirming that the pair indeed vacationed in the Caribbean together.
My Stepdaughter Insisted I Reassign All Her Deceased Father’s Possessions into Her Name – I Complied, Yet She Was Unpleased
The emptiness of George’s departure permeates their residence, his presence enduring in the shirt Mariana grips nightly. However, it wasn’t his passing that devastated her… it was her stepdaughter Susan’s insistence on inheriting his wealth. When she reluctantly agreed, an unexpected twist left Susan enraged and Mariana strangely content.
Progressing past the death of a dear one is always challenging. At times, I still sense my husband George’s voice echoing in my mind. I awaken holding his cherished shirt, his fragrance still clinging to the material. Yet, as I mourned him, my stepdaughter’s actions… they utterly broke me…
I am Mariana, aged 57, wed to the kindest man, George, for 25 years. He had a daughter, Susan, aged 34, from an earlier marriage.
Our bond with Susan was once good. She addressed me as “Mom” and filled the gap in my heart from not bearing my own children. I never viewed her as “another’s” child. I cherished her as my own daughter, truly.
When Susan wed her chosen partner, George and I were thrilled. But then, everything deteriorated when George received a terminal cancer diagnosis.
Susan’s visits reduced from weekly to monthly, then ceased entirely. She seldom visited her father, occasionally phoning to inquire about his health.
One day, she posed a question that tore me apart. “How long does he have left?”
Clutching the phone tightly, my voice shook. “Susan, your father isn’t an item with an expiration date.”
“I just need to know, Mom. I’m swamped, you know that… I can’t come by often,” she responded.
“Swamped?” I repeated, my tone filled with disbelief. “Too swamped to visit your dying father?”
She exhaled deeply. “Look, I’ll attempt to come soon, okay?”
But that “soon” never materialized.
Then, the dreaded day arrived. The hospital informed me that George had passed away peacefully.
I was devastated, barely able to stand as the reality sank in. My beloved George, gone.
Shockingly, Susan didn’t attend his funeral. When I called her, she promptly excused herself.
“I’m expecting, Mom,” she stated, her tone strangely indifferent. “The doctors advised against lengthy travel due to some medical concerns.”
I swallowed hard, holding back tears. “But Susan, it’s your father’s funeral. Don’t you wish to bid him farewell one last time?”
“I can’t jeopardize my baby’s health,” she curtly replied. “You understand, right?”
I didn’t, not truly, but I nodded silently, forgetting she couldn’t see me. “Of course, dear. Take care.”
As I sat near my husband’s coffin, I couldn’t dismiss the notion that our relationship had irrevocably changed.
Six months post-George’s death, I was startled by a loud knock at my door. Opening it, I saw Susan and her husband Doug, along with a severe-looking man in a suit.
Susan entered without greeting. “Mom, we need your signature on some documents.”
Baffled, I blinked. “Which documents?”
Doug handed me a stack of papers, including a blank sheet. “Just sign these. They’re for transferring all the properties into our names.”
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