Kevin Costner’s wife filed for divorce after 18 years of marriage, claiming the Yellowstone actor didn’t want their love to end.
Christine Baumgartner, 49, filed for divorce on Monday after marrying Costner, 68, in 2004.
The two had a private existence, and one of their last public appearances together was at the Academy Awards in March 2022.
Who is Christine Baumgartner?
Baumgartner is a model and fashion designer known for her handbags. In the early 2000s, she and her friend Tamara Muro started their own company, Cat Bag Couture.
Her collection, which began with laptop bags, was widely available near the vast ranch she shared with Costner in Aspen, Colorado.
Speaking about the early days of her career in a 2005 interview with the Denver Post, she recalled Costner being a ‘supportive’ in her career aspirations.
‘When I came up with some samples, I showed them to Kevin, and he said they were beautiful and amazing,’ she told the news outlet.
‘He told me I should take it to the next step and he’d help me. I’ve always loved fashion and style, and if you can mix it with function, it’s perfect.’
Where did they meet?
Baumgartner and Costner first met in the 1990s, when the Hollywood Heartthrob was filming the 1996 film Tin Cup with Rene Russo on a golf course.
The Bodyguard actor was married to his first wife, Cindy Silva, at the time, but they rekindled their romance after Costner and Silva split in 1994 after nearly 16 years of marriage. Silva and Costner have three children together: Anne, Lily, and Joe.
In a 2003 interview with PEOPLE, Costner recalled running into Baumgartner at a restaurant in 1999.
‘We exchanged numbers, and I told her that I would – did she mind if I called her in two weeks. I did not realize that was like an insult to a woman,’ he told the news outlet.
It wasn’t long until the two started dating.
Why are they divorcing?
Baumgartner filed divorce papers, citing ‘irreconcilable disagreements.’
She also wanted joint custody of the three children she has with the actor: Cayden, 15, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 12.
Heartbroken Costner filed his response to the divorce Tuesday, and he is also seeking joint custody of their children.
A Costner spokeswoman claimed the divorce was out of the actor’s hands and ‘beyond his control.’
‘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 statement read.
‘We ask that his, Christine’s and their children’s privacy be respected as they navigate this difficult time,’ the statement concluded.
Baumgartner is not said to be filing for spousal support, with Costner’s response filed by Laura Wasser.
‘Spousal support to be payable to petitioner pursuant to the terms of the parties’ Premarital Agreement,’ Wasser said, indicating there is a pre-nuptial agreement between Costner and Baumgartner.
How many kids do they have?
The broken pair share three kids together – Cayden, 15, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 12.
They welcomed their first born Cayden in 2007. Two years later in February 2009, they had Hayes.
It appeared Baumgartner and Costner couldn’t keep themselves off of each other because a year later, in 2010, the two had Grace.
source:nsemwokrom.com
