Kevin Costner Gets More Bad News As Bitter Divorce Battle Continues

The Hollywood star Kevin Costner is currently in the midst of a bitter divorce battle with his ex-wife Christine Baumgartner, who he was married to from 2004 until she “blindsided” him by filing for divorce on May 1. Now, things have gotten even worse for Costner, as he’s saying that he expects his income to drop “dramatically” now that he is no longer on the hit show “Yellowstone.”

Costner’s Income To Drop ‘Dramatically’

Daily Mail reported that Costner, 68, is allegedly the highest paid actor on television, earning $1.3 million per episode for the last season of “Yellowstone.” Baumgartner, 49, is claiming that after appearing in eight episodes last year, Costner earned $24.5 million from “Yellowstone” and other sources.

Costner, however, is saying that his income will drop “dramatically” now that he has left “Yellowstone” so that he can make his four-film Western epic Horizon.

“I will earn substantially less in 2023 than I did in 2022,” he stated in court papers. “This is because I am no longer under contract for Yellowstone, the principal source of my income last year.”

“The fixed amount, ‘pay or play’ and episodic compensation I received has ceased,” he continued. “Now, any compensation I earn from ‘Yellowstone’ will derive only from my back-end contractual participation rights. The most recent report from the producer for Yellowstone shows I am not now owed any participation money (although I have disputed this). So far in 2023 I have yet to receive any participation compensation from ‘Yellowstone.'”

Costner went on to say that he “doesn’t anticipate being on location for at least the rest of 2023,” even though the second half of season five of “Yellowstone” is set to begin filming next month.

“I do not anticipate that I will be on location for at least the rest of 2023,” he said in the court papers, adding that he will be returning to California this month to be with the three children he shares with Baumgartner.

Related: Kevin Costner Scores Huge Win From Judge As Bitter Divorce Continues

‘Yellowstone’ Ending

Days after Baumgartner filed for divorce on May 1, Daily Mail reported that the end of “Yellowstone” was announced by Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, who also revealed that a sequel series starring Matthew McConaughey will be replacing it.

“‘Yellowstone’ has been the cornerstone on which we have launched an entire universe of global hits — from ‘1883’ to ‘Tulsa King,’ and I am confident our sequel will be another big hit, thanks to the brilliant creative mind of Taylor Sheridan [the show’s creator] and our incredible casts who bring these shows to life,” McCarthy said.

Related: Kevin Costner’s Bitter Divorce Escalates As He Accuses Ex Of ‘Planning Her Exit Long Before’ Split

Costner’s Divorce Battle

It was Baumgartner who filed for divorce on May 1, listing the former couple’s date of separation as being April 11. Costner responded through his representative, who released a statement saying that “circumstances beyond his control have transpired” that led to this divorce. A source close to Costner said that the divorce “was not anything that [Costner] wanted or sought, and if he could change the situation, he would.”

Though Costner and Baumgartner signed a prenuptial agreement when they married back in 2004 dictating that she was entitled to $1.4 million if they split, she has been fighting for more money ever since she filed for divorce on May 1.

This divorce has clearly become very messy for everyone involved, but for the sake of the former couple’s three children, we can only hope that Costner and Baumgartner are able to come to some kind of amicable agreement moving forward.