SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA: After the first court hearing in the couple's divorce on Wednesday, July 5, Kevin Costner is "relieved" that his estranged wife Christine Baumgartner has been ordered to move out of the $145 million property they previously shared. According to court records, Judge Thomas Anderele ordered Baumgartner, 49, to leave the house she shares with Costner, 68, by the end of July, as reported by People.
Baumgartner had already consented to vacate the family residence, but only under her own conditions. She earlier declared in court documents that she will leave the estate on August 31 after the outcome of a hearing initially scheduled for July 12. In the documents, Baumgartner stipulated that Costner must abide by "with whatever support and fee orders that the court makes on July 12" in order for Baumgartner to leave the property by the end of August.
'Kevin was happy'
Baumgartner, who arrived in a limousine at the Santa Barbara courthouse, was photographed prior to the hearings. As per Entertainment Tonight, the 'Yellowstone' actor attended the hearing via Zoom, remaining mute, while his attorney Laure Wasser was present in person.
According to a source, the 49-year-old handbag designer has till the end of July to leave the California property she shared with the 68-year-old actor and director. Costner is reportedly pleased with the court decision as the insider told People, "He was relieved." The source further added: "Kevin was happy yesterday with a prejudgment in his favor."
Despite a provision in their prenuptial agreement, which Costner claims mandates her estranged wife to vacate within 30 days, Baumgartner has stayed at the Santa Barbara property since she filed for divorce on May 1. It is now past that deadline. In court filings, 49-year-old Baumgartner had earlier stated that she would leave by August 31 provided Costner agreed to give her $248,000 per month in child support.
Christine allegedly 'grasps at straws'
The hearing on Wednesday took place following the acquisition of court documents filed on June 30, in which Costner's legal team asserted that Baumgartner allegedly "grasps at straws with one baseless argument after another," as to why she should be permitted to stay in his home. In the document, it was said that Costner "respectfully requests that Christine be ordered to vacate his separate property residence forthwith and no later than July 13, 2023."
The most recent documents from Costner, who bought the home in 1988 before he married Baumgartner, were filed in response to her own June 28 filing, in which she claimed his claims that she wouldn't leave the house were "simply not true" and that she would leave their beachfront home by August 31 if a child-support agreement had been reached.
According to reports, Christine has asked for $248,000 in child support per month to create a "suitable separate household" for their kids; Costner has reportedly rejected this amount as "inflated." The estranged couple share three kids: sons Cayden (16) and Hayes (14), and daughter Grace (13). Reportedly, Baumgartner is not pleased with the actor's decision to pay child support, claiming that the $51,940 per month is "completely inappropriate" and does not cover the costs of his kids' requirements or his opulent lifestyle.
