Hollywood actor Kevin Costner emerged victorious in a court ruling on Wednesday, which ordered Christine Baumgartner, his soon-to-be ex-wife, to leave their shared estate in the Santa Barbara area by the end of the month.
The property was originally purchased by Costner prior to their marriage, and a prenuptial agreement, intended to establish clear boundaries in the unfortunate event of their divorce, explicitly stated Baumgartner would not continue to live in any of his homes, including the current Santa Barbara residence.
Judge Thomas Anderle denied Baumgartner’s request to extend her move-out date to August 15. Baumgartner’s legal representatives argued that the Santa Barbara real estate market’s current conditions would make it challenging for her to find suitable accommodation.
However, Judge Anderle remained firm on enforcing the pre-marital agreement and set July 31 as her move-out date.
There was also disagreement about the child support amount for their three children.
While Baumgartner sought nearly $250,000 per month, Costner offered $68,000, a point of contention that the court will further investigate.
Documents obtained by Fox News Digital reveal Baumgartner’s filing for divorce on May 1, with “irreconcilable differences” listed as the cause. The separation date was noted as April 11, 2023.
Costner had previously highlighted the importance of maintaining his separate property residences’ accessibility, particularly the ocean-overlooking compound in Carpinteria, California, in court documents.
“Kevin was married once before and, upon separation, he found himself without a home base and unable to live in his own home,” stated Costner’s legal representatives.
“He never wanted that to happen again. Because of the nature of his work, Kevin is frequently working out of town; it was and remains therefore particularly important to him that when he is home, he has a home to go to.”
Speaking on the enforcement of the pre-marital agreement, celebrity attorney Christopher C. Melcher of Walzer, Melcher & Yoda remarked to Fox News Digital, “I’m sure it’s difficult for Christine to move out of her home where she raised her kids, but a deal’s a deal. She made an agreement with Kevin that if they ever broke up, she would move out within 30 days, so the judge is just enforcing that promise.”
Both Costner, known for his role in “Dances With Wolves,” and Baumgartner have filed for joint custody of their three children: Cayden, 15, Hayes, 14 and Grace, 12. A hearing is scheduled for July 12.
“He’s asking for $68,000 in child support to be paid to Christine; she wants $248,000 a month,” Melcher added, positing that Costner likely trusts Judge Anderle’s judgment in this matter.
Praising the court’s efficiency, Melcher noted, “It was stunningly quick. Most of these cases don’t resolve at the first hearing, but Judge Anderle ordered Christine Costner to vacate Kevin Costner’s home by July 31, so that’s a month earlier than she was proposing.”
He also believes Christine, despite possible hesitations, will adhere to the judge’s order.
Melcher stated, “Kevin’s offering for the moving expenses. She could try to challenge this on appeal, but I think that would be a mistake, so I do believe we’ll see her moving out by July 31.”
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