Kevin Costner’s estranged wife ‘leaves Los Angeles with their children’ amid divorce battle

Christine Baumgartner is seeking higher monthly child support from Costner, it has been reported

Kevin Costner’s ex-wife Christine Baumgartner has reportedly flown out of Los Angeles with two of their three children while their divorce proceedings continue.

The handbag designer was seen heading into LAX airport on Thursday (29 June), after she reportedly agreed to leave her beachfront home with Costner on the condition he provides further financial support as determined by the court.

Photographs of Baumgartner with their son Hayes, 14, and daughter Grace, 13, were published by Page Six, showing the trio being dropped off at the airport.

It is unclear where the family members were headed. The former couple’s eldest child Cayden, 16, was not present at the airport.

Baumgartner, 49, filed for divorce from the Yellowstone star, 68, in early May. Court documents reportedly show her promising to move out of the home they shared together in Carpenteria, California if Costner agrees to pay a higher sum of money in monthly child support.

Baumgartner reportedly asked a judge to force Costner to pay $248,000 (£196,000) per month to support their three children, arguing that the figure is “less than the amount needed to maintain the children in their accustomed lifestyle”. She is also requesting that he pay 100 per cent of their private school tuition fees, as well as covering extracurricular activities and healthcare expenses.

The amount Baumgartner is seeking is six times the $38,000 (£30,000) a month that Costner originally offered, according to People. The actor has also alleged that his ex-wife is refusing to vacate their home, despite a clause in their pre-nuptial agreement that “obligates” her to do so within 30 days of filing for divorce.

In new court documents, Baumgartner is said to have promised to vacate the home by the end of August as long as Costner agrees to pay his court-ordered support, which has yet to be determined. The former couple are due for a case management conference on 5 July.

Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner attends the Premiere Of 20th Century Fox's "The Art Of Racing In The Rain" at El Capitan Theatre on August 01, 2019 (Getty Images)

In her divorce filing, Baumgartner cited irreconcilable differences and listed their date of separation as 11 April. A representative for Costner said in May, when it was confirmed that the pair were ending their 18-year marriage, that it was taking place “with great sadness”.

“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,” the representative said. “We ask that his, Christine’s and their children’s privacy be respected they navigate this difficult time.”

The Sun quoted a source as saying that Costner was “blindsided” by the divorce filing, as he reportedly thought they had agreed to have an amicable separation.

The source said that the Bodyguard star “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”. However, Baumgartner’s move to file for divorce “shocked” him, it was claimed.

Costner was previously married to Carla Silva for 16 years before they divorced in 1994. They also share three children. His first divorce was considered one of the most expensive in Hollywood history, according to Forbes, after it was estimated that he paid out $80m (£63m) to Silva.

The actor also has a son with Bridget Rooney, who was born in 1996. He first met Baumgartner in 1996, while he was still married to Silva, but only ran into her again in 1998 after divorcing from Silva and breaking up with Rooney. They married in 2004 at his 160-acre ranch in Aspen.

The Independent has contacted Costner and Baumgartner’s representatives for comment.