Christine Baumgartner
Court hearing! Kevin Costner’s ex cries in court
Christine Baumgartner on her way to court
© Backgrid / Action Press
Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner have been publicly fighting their War of the Roses for months. Now they were in court for the first time, the hearing ended in tears.
On Thursday, August 31, 2023, the first hearing in a court in Santa Barbara, California, took place, which was about child support negotiations. Baumgartner burst into tears and explained that the children Cayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 13, couldn’t do without luxury.
Kevin Costner’s ex Christine Baumgartner bursts into tears in court
As “People” reports, Christine Baumgartner currently receives the equivalent of 118,800 euros per month in maintenance, but is now demanding around 161,220 euros per month, i.e. an increase of around 42,400 euros. This should now be heard in court. In the opening statement, Christine’s attorney, John Rydell, said they would reduce the previously claimed amount to €148,800 per month, according to a forensic accountant’s latest estimate. Baumgartner’s lawyer further emphasized that a life of luxury “at this point in time” would be “in their children’s DNA” and listed all the sports in which they are involved and the houses that the family owns.
© Backgrid / Action Press
Shortly thereafter, Christine flipped through the evidence photos – from the house she had to vacate – and tearfully told the court: “It’s so much more than this – it’s an experience.” “We’ve created quite a community,” she added, according to People, repeatedly referring to every part of the Santa Barbara property as “ours.” The villa includes a volleyball court, a garden, an infinity pool and two guest houses. The mother of three also referred to the “surf garage” of the house, which also houses craft workshops, and said: “We create everything we can dream of here.” Her children are “connected to the sea”, it is their home, she continued with a trembling voice.
Children should maintain their lifestyle
A court document obtained by the US magazine ahead of the hearing said: “Christine is making this motion [auf Unterhaltszahlungen, Anmerkung der Redaktion]to uphold the principles of family law and to ensure that the parties’ three minor children continue to enjoy the lifestyle made possible by Kevin’s substantial income and wealth.” With Kevin Costner having the equivalent of $15 million in cash equivalents, he “plenty of funds for the payment of his maintenance”.
Should Baumgartner’s current application be granted, the order would be “retroactive to July 1”. The filing states: “The court has an obligation to determine child support so that the children, when with Christine, can lead a lifestyle relatively comparable to that which they lead when with their father. “
Sources used: people.com, actionpress.de