Opinion

Kevin Costner’s Bitter Divorce Battle May Not Be Over After Settlement, Expert Warns

Culture Beat   |  

Sep 29, 2023

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Last week, we reported that the “Yellowstone” star Kevin Costner had come out victorious in his bitter divorce battle with his ex-wife Christine Baumgartner after the former couple came to a settlement agreement that upheld the terms of their prenuptial agreement. Now, however, an expert is speaking out to warn that this might not actually be the end of their divorce war.

Divorce Settlement Reached

Costner and Baumgartner spent four months fighting it out in court before coming to the settlement agreement.

“Kevin and Christine Costner have come to an amicable and mutually agreed upon resolution of all issues pertaining to their divorce proceedings,” the former couple told Daily Mail in a joint statement.

TMZ reported that Baumgartner learned the weekend prior that “she would have to repay Kevin more than $1 million and pay his attorney’s fees for the prenup fight.” As soon as she heard this, she reportedly “agreed over the weekend to the terms of a 3-page settlement letter.”

Celebrity Divorce Lawyer Speaks Out 

The celebrity divorce lawyer Christopher C. Melcher, partner at Walzer Melcher & Yoda, is now speaking out to warn that this agreement could easily fall apart, however.

“Unfortunately, we do see a lot of deals fall apart in divorce because people feel pressured to enter into them, and they often get buyer’s remorse,” Melcher told Fox News. “So I would not be surprised if we see Christine maybe coming back and saying, ‘I really don’t like that deal, and I’d like to improve it.'”

“I hope for the sake of the family that he or she doesn’t do that, but it could happen,” he added.

Related: Kevin Costner Comes Out Victorious Over Ex In Bitter Divorce Battle As His Prenup Is Enforced

Child Support Battle

Costner and Baumgartner are parents to three children who range in age from 13-16. Earlier this month, Judge Thomas Anderle ruled in Costner’s favor when he slashed the monthly child support payments that he was paying his ex down from $129,755 to $63,209. This was a brutal defeat for Baumgartner, who had been asking for the payments to be increased to $161,592 per month, but the judge went so far as to accuse her of trying to obtain “disguised spousal support.”

“Christine kept asking for more and more money, and her demands for child support were just eye watering and unreasonable, and that really hurt her credibility in court,” Melcher said. “As she lost issue after issue, the writing was on the wall, and it became clear that the court was going to enforce the pre-marital agreement. That’s why she had to make a deal.”

Melcher went on to say that settling a divorce is “always a good idea, and especially for celebrities because it’s just toxic to their brand. What’s unfortunate is they had to go through months of really embarrassing and acrimonious litigation to get here, and they could have settled at the beginning. Glad they’ve done it now though.”

Related: New Details Emerge About Kevin Costner’s Divorce Victory

Costner ‘Had All The Power’

A source close to Baumgartner said last week that she had no other choice but to settle with Costner.

“Christine didn’t really have a choice but to settle because Kevin had all the power. Had she continued fighting, she would risk losing everything,” the source told Daily Mail. “Christine said it is what it is. That she won’t miss going to court and having sleepless nights.”

“She said for the kids it’s a win because no child wants to go thru this, let alone in public,” the insider continued. “She was the one who wanted to settle things outside of court in the first place. She never wanted any of this circus. It’s been a living nightmare and now she just wants to move on and start fresh and begin making her new house a home.”

This has clearly been a very messy divorce for everyone involved. For the sake of Costner and Baumgartner’s three children, we can only hope that this truly is the end of their divorce battle.