It’s been an eventful few months for the usually private Kevin Costner. First, his wife of 18 years, Christine Costner (née Baumgartner), filed for divorce. One day later, it was reported that the actor’s reign as the Dutton patriarch on Yellowstone was over. Then, came accusations that infidelity had something to do with the split.
Things have only amped up since. In divorce filings, Kevin demanded Christine move out of their home, citing their prenuptial agreement. She scoffed — and made her own demands, of $248,000 a month in child support for their three children. The docket for the case is already long, filled with conferences and a trial date if that comes to pass.
So, what happened with Kevin and Christine Costner? And is the divorce related to Yellowstone drama? Here’s everything we know.
The couple separated in April — we think
In Christine’s divorce filing, she listed their date of separation as April 11. She officially filed for divorce on May 1, citing irreconcilable differences. In Kevin’s own filing, he listed their separation date as TBD, so it seems he may be pushing back against her date.
Kevin didn’t want to get divorced
Although it was evident in the actor’s statement, a source tells People this wasn’t “anything that he wanted or sought, and if he could change the situation, he would.”
Kevin and Christine share three children: Cayden, 15, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 12. Another insider claimed to Page Six the actor was “stunned” when Christine filed paperwork.
The actor’s rep previously told Yahoo Entertainment “that circumstances beyond” Kevin’s “control” resulted in the split.
“It is with great sadness that circumstances beyond his control have transpired which have resulted in Mr. Costner having to participate in a dissolution of marriage action,” his publicist shared in a statement. “We ask that his, Christine’s and their children’s privacy be respected as they navigate this difficult time.”
Their divorce demands
In a legal declaration, Kevin demanded that Christine move out of their waterfront home in Carpinteria, Calif. He pointed to their prenuptial agreement, signed in 2004, stipulated that she leave the home, which he purchased, within 30 days of any divorce filing. He said he had already paid her over $1 million dollars, per the prenup, to find a new home — and offered to pay extra for moving costs. He also accused his estranged wife of withdrawing money from his bank account and made charges on his credit card totaling $95,000.
Christine responded in a filing saying basically that he had no “legal” right to kick her — and their children — out of the family’s longtime home.
Christine’s own demands have since become more clear. In a filing last Friday, she asked for $248,000 a month in child support. She claimed that figure “is less than the amount needed to maintain the children in their accustomed lifestyle.” She also requested that Kevin pay 100% of private-school tuition, extracurricular activities and health-care expenses.
Her filing dropped some staggering figures related to Kevin’s finances. It listed his 2022 income as $19,517,0641. It stated that their family’s expenses, not including taxes, were $6,645,285. Their net income, after all expenses and taxes, was listed as $7,595,520. It also noted that the upkeep of their several large properties is approximately $2 million a year.
Did cheating have something to do with it?
The internet acts as a judge and jury these days, so it’s no real surprise social media is convinced of alleged infidelity on Kevin’s part. One unverified rumor claimed Costner impregnated someone who worked on Yellowstone. (“Not true,” a source tells Yahoo.)
Kevin’s rep shut down speculation in a statement to Yahoo on Thursday: “Any suggestion of infidelity on the part of Mr. Costner is absolutely not true.”
As for why people were quick to jump to that conclusion, it may have had something to do with Kevin’s prior marriage to Cindy Costner. In 1994, it was rumored his relationship with his childhood sweetheart imploded due to on-set affairs. The estimated $80 million divorce settlement, per Forbes, is one of the priciest in Hollywood history.
Since then, there’s been gossip that Christine grew close to a tenant renting a house on their Carpinteria estate, leading to Kevin confronting the man. However, Daniel Starr, a real estate developer, denied any involvement whatsoever on June 22. He told TMZ, “I just was a tenant … nothing else.” He did say that he moved out in late March — apparently just before Kevin and Christine separated — even though his lease wasn’t up until June.
Is Kevin’s divorce holding up Yellowstone?
Nope. Sources involved in production tell Yahoo that Kevin’s divorce has nothing to do with why the back half of Season 5 has yet to be filmed.
“Honestly, a lot of us were surprised when the [divorce] news broke,” says one insider, adding there was no indication the former couple were on the rocks.
The Yellowstone issue is strictly a professional one as Kevin wanted to instead focus on filming the second chapter of his passion project Horizon: An American Saga. Due to that being his priority, he and Paramount couldn’t come to terms with an agreement for him to appear. The network announced the show would end after the final six episodes, and Kevin’s not committed to appear in them.
Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview that ran June 21 that he is “disappointed” that Kevin prioritized his film over the hit show. “I sure hope [the movie is] worth it — and that it’s a good one.”
Sheridan said Kevin “and the network were arguing about when he could be done with Yellowstone. I said, ‘We can certainly work a schedule toward [his preferred exit date],’ which we did.” Sheridan claimed that he didn’t “dictate the schedule. I don’t determine when things start filming.” He also denied that he and Kevin had a massive fight on the set, which has been rumored, leading to Kevin’s exit.
The outlet noted that discussions are continuing to get Kevin to return to shoot a few scenes to wrap up his storyline. The show, which aired its mid-season finale on Jan. 1, was originally set to return this summer. However, it was pushed to November. Now, it could be delayed further due to the writers strike.
Christine wanted it known in her legal filing that she had nothing to do with Kevin’s Yellowstone exit.
“I did not pressure Kevin to leave the Yellowstone show,” she wrote.
A Costner family source previously told People magazine that the actor’s demanding work schedule — as he juggled Yellowstone and Horizon — was difficult for Christine before she pulled the plug on the marriage. However, the divorce “has nothing to do with Yellowstone,” said an insider. “The two situations are unrelated.”
Editor’s note: This post was originally published on Thursday, May 4 at 1:08 p.m. ET and was updated.
