Christine Baumgartner, the estranged wife of Kevin Costner, has been ordered to leave the home they formerly shared.
The 49-year-old handbag designer has until the end of the month to vacate the $145 million mansion that she and the 68-year-old actor and director had previously shared.
Baumgartner was also pictured looking somber in Santa Barbara, California, on Wednesday as she made her way to and from the first court hearing in the couple’s already-rancorous divorce.
The latest development comes after Baumgartner had agreed to leave the family home, but only on her own terms.
She had previously said in court filings that she would leave the estate on August 31, following the results of a court date originally scheduled for July 12.
Hit the road! Christine Baumgartner, the estranged wife of Kevin Costner, has been ordered to leave the home they formerly shared by a judge overseeing their divorce case; seen leaving the Santa Barbara courthouse on Wednesday
Making conditions: Baumgartner previously said she would leave by August 31, but only after a judge had ruled on what kind of support payments her 68-year-old actor ex would make to her; seen together in 2003 in LA
In the documents, Baumgartner agreed to vacate the premises at the end of August as long as Costner complied ‘with whatever support and fee orders that the court makes on July 12.’
It’s unclear if that hearing is still on the calendar.
TMZ, which reported the development, noted that the ruling may indicate that the judge plans to agree with Costner’s legal team that the couple’s prenuptial agreement is valid and enforceable.
The agreement states that Baumgartner has a month to vacate the premises if either partner files for divorce.
Although she appears to have passed the original deadline, the judge set a new deadline of July 31 for her to be moved out.
Baumgartner’s attorneys reportedly argued in court that that date wasn’t feasible or fair, as she has had neither enough time nor funds to look for a new home.
They asked the judge to extend the date to August 15, though it’s unclear if the latest ruling took that request into consideration.
Costner is being represented by the famous divorce attorney Laura Wasser, who reportedly served as an inspiration for Laura Dern’s lawyer character in Noah Baumbach’s critically acclaimed film Marriage Story, which earned Dern an Academy Award for best supporting actress.
Trouble ahead? TMZ, which reported the development, noted that the ruling may indicate that the judge plans to agree with Costner’s legal team that the couple’s prenuptial agreement is valid and enforceable
Going to court: Baumgartner was also seen arriving at and leaving the courthouse with a woman who appeared to be her attorney
Classy: She wore a business-ready off-white patterned blouse, along with sleek black slacks and black open-toe heels with straps running up to her ankles.
Elegant: She wore her honey blond hair parted down the middle and cascading down her shoulders while blocking out the sun with large tortoiseshell cat-eye sunglasses
Prepared: Baumgartner carried her cell phone in her hands, along with a small pad of paper for note taking
Bad news: Although she displayed a soft smile as she met up with a woman outside the courthouse who appeared to be her attorney, she was notably more stone-faced when she was seen leaving after the ruling ordering her to move out of her home
Wasser has defended the validity of the prenuptial agreement in court, and it appears that the judge is inclined to agree with her, although it is not a done deal yet.
A hearing to address the document’s validity won’t happen until November, and Baumgartner is expected to continue challenging it.
The judge may have opted to follow the document’s provisions before considering it more fully at the later date, but the preliminary move to get Costner’s ex out of the house indicates that the judge may agree that the rest of the document is also valid.
TMZ reports that Baumgartner will also be forced to return $1.5 million paid to her by Costner if the judge determines that the prenup is valid, and she will also reportedly be forced to pay his attorneys’ fees for defending the document.
On Wednesday, Baumgartner was seen arriving at court in a business-ready off-white patterned blouse, along with sleek black slacks and black open-toe heels with straps running up to her ankles.
She wore her honey blond hair parted down the middle and cascading down her shoulders while blocking out the sun with large tortoiseshell cat-eye sunglasses.
Baumgartner carried her cell phone in her hands, along with a small pad of paper for note taking.
Although she displayed a soft smile as she met up with a woman outside the courthouse who appeared to be her attorney, she was notably more stone-faced when she was seen leaving after the ruling ordering her to move out of her home.
Waiting for a ruling: Baumgartner previously said she wasn’t moving out until a July 12 hearing for the judge to determine what kind of support Costner would be paying her; seen with sons Cayden, 15; Hayes, 14; and daughter Grace, 13, in 2019
Major difference: She is seeking $248,000 per month in child support payments. However, Costner has said in other filings that he believes he should only pay around $38,000 per month; still from Yellowstone
Baumgartner previously wrote in court filings that she was hesitant to leave her home without having a plan and funding in place, if only for the sake of her children, whom she doesn’t want to have to move multiple times.
She claimed that ‘Kevin wants me to rent [a] place without [a] financial plan in place. However, [I] have our three children to think about. It is contrary to their best interests to commit to rental that [I] may not be able to afford, particularly as that would ultimately lead to multiple relocations.
‘My goal has been and continues to be maintaining as much stability for our children as possible, which includes having the proper resources and plan in place so that [I] can establish [a] stable home for them, rather than making temporary and inconsistent housing arrangements,’ she continued.
Costner was not only the primary breadwinner, but the only person making money recently, and Baumgartner says in her filing that she has no income.
The Yellowstone star was on the hook to help his estranged wife relocate per their prenuptial agreement, but it was a relatively paltry sum for their lifestyle.
Costner would have paid her a reported $1 million to find a new home, but with California’s elevated home prices — particularly if she tried to stay near Costner — she may have had difficulty finding something similar to the luxury she and her children are accustomed to.
According to RadarOnline, Costner has deposited $1 million in Baumgartner’s bank account to get her to move out of his mansion, and he said he had previously given her $200,000 earlier in their marriage in line with their prenuptial agreement.
However, Baumgartner hasn’t touched the money, as she says doing so would rob her of her ability to contest their prenup’s validity.
She has also said that the couple have had no problems on days where Costner was staying at the home, and she says the mansion’s size and disconnected living spaces mean they can live together without interacting.
Pushing her out: According to RadarOnline, Costner has deposited $1 million in Baumgartner’s bank account to get her to move out of his mansion, and he said he had previously given her $200,000 earlier in their marriage in line with their prenuptial agreement; seen together in 2006
No sudden moves: However, Baumgartner hasn’t touched the money, as she says doing so would rob her of her ability to contest their prenup’s validity; Costner pictured on Yellowstone
Costner’s legal team previously said in court filings that ‘Kevin has acted in good faith and has done everything in his power to make the transition as seamless as possible,’ according to Insider.
It was previously reported that Baumgartner is seeking $248,000 per month in child support payments. She and Costner share three children: sons Cayden, 15; and Hayes, 14; along with their younger daughter Grace, 13.
However, Costner has said in other filings that he believes he should only pay around $38,000 per month.
Last month, The Sun reported that Costner was ‘blindsided’ when he was served divorce papers by his wife, as he thought that he would be the first to file.
The Waterworld actor ‘sat his family down, told them he and their mum were getting a divorce and his lawyer was getting the paperwork drawn up,’ a source claimed to the publication.
‘He wanted everything to be peaceful for the sake of his kids and told Christine he didn’t want a messy divorce because he’d already been through one,’ they continued.
But ‘first thing the next morning, boom, Christine sneak attacks him and serves him with her own set of divorce papers.
‘Kevin was so shocked,’ the source added. ‘Christine has since made him look terrible, and has continued to do so.’
Sneak attack: Last month, The Sun reported that Costner was ‘blindsided’ when he was served divorce papers by his wife, as he thought that he would be the first to file; seen in 2006
However, Baumgartner has previously shared a different, less flattering version of how their children learned of their impending divorce.
In a court filing obtained earlier this month by People, she claimed that Costner told the three children about the divorce via a Zoom chat while he was in Las Vegas filming on location.
The handbag designer added that she was not present during the Zoom call, and she noted that she was puzzled about why the children had to be told in that way, as Costner would be returning home in a matter of days.
‘I am still confused by his motivation to do this via a very short Zoom session, especially since he was planning on being home five days later,’ she wrote.
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