Costner vs. Costner allegedly kicked off with a "sneak attack." In a new report by The US Sun, a source claims Kevin Costner and estranged wife Christine Baumgartner had agreed to an amicable split, with the Yellowstone star planning on serving divorce papers himself. Then, Baumgartner beat him to the punch.
Costner and Baumgartner had agreed to a divorce and shared the news with their three children, a source told The US Sun. Costner's lawyer was "getting the paperwork drawn up" when Baumgartner initiated a "sneak attack."
"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," the source claimed. "Then first thing the next morning, boom, Christine sneak attacks him and serves him with her own set of divorce papers."
In May, Baumgartner, 49, filed for divorce from Costner, 68. The pair had been married for 18 years.
"Kevin was so shocked," the source continued. "Christine has since made him look terrible, and has continued to do so."
The couple share three children: Cayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 13. According to the report, Costner informed their children of the divorce at a restaurant near the family's Montecito, California mansion. However, in court filings obtained by People, Baumgartner alleged that Costner broke the news of the divorce to their children in a 10-minute Zoom call:
"He insisted that he had the right to tell them that we were getting divorced 'first' and tell them privately 'without me present'," Baumgartner stated, per People.
While The US Sun suggests that Costner agreed to an amicable split, friends of the couple told Page Six in May that Costner was blindsided by the divorce. "Kevin was very surprised by Christine's actions, he obviously doesn't want the divorce and he would take her back," a source told the outlet.
The couple's divorce proceedings have since hit a few snags. Costner alleged that Baumgartner refuses to vacate their beachfront home (which Costner purchased in 1988, before their 2004 wedding), a violation of their pre-nuptial agreement that has left Costner "homeless."
Costner filed for joint custody of their three children. In response, Baumgartner has requested $248K in monthly child support payments and pointed at the actor's extravagant spending in divorce proceedings, including some $500K in beach club fees. Costner had previously requested that his financial records be kept private due to "embarrassing global media attention."
