Kevin Costner has been ordered to pay more than double his proposed amount of child support to his estranged wife.
The ‘Yellowstone’ actor, 68, has been fighting his 49-year-old ex Christine Baumgartner’s demands for a fortune in monthly maintenance, but court documents have now shown Judge Thomas Anderle ruled on Tuesday he must pay the handbag designer $129,755 (about R2.4m) per month to support the three children they have together – Cayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and 13-year-old Grace.
Papers obtained by Fox News also show the judge ordered Costner to pay $200,000 in attorney’s fees and $100,000 in forensic accountancy costs.
He and Baumgartner, who filed for divorce in May after 18 years of marriage citing “irreconcilable differences”, will each be required to pay 50 percent of their kids’ healthcare expenses, sports and extracurricular activities, according to the court papers.
Baumgartner had initially requested $248,000 a month in child support – aside from an undisclosed sum of spousal support previously agreed upon in the former couple’s premarital agreement.
Costner had claimed a “reasonable” amount of child support for Christine would be $51,940 a month – which is what he is currently paying.
The actor is also fighting to get his estranged wife out of their $145-million beachfront compound in the next two days.
He said in court papers he “respectfully requests” his former partner “vacate his separate property residence” in Santa Barbara, California “forthwith” and “no later than July 13, 2023”.
He has cited a premarital agreement they signed in 2004 that stated she would leave their marital home within 30 days if a separation ever happened.
The agreement also states Costner would be required to set her up at a separate $1.2-million property if a split occurred.
Costner alleged in June his ex was refusing to move out of the California home and was trying to force him agree to “various financial demands” before leaving.
Baumgartner hit back in a response the star had “no legal basis” to kick her out, despite their premarital agreement.
Her lawyer also stated the wellbeing of the former couple’s three children was a valid reason for her wanting to stay in the home, arguing it was where their kids had lived “for their entire lives”.
Former model Baumgartner has said in court documents she hasn’t had a paying job since her eldest child was born in 2007.
Costner has reportedly accused Baumgartner of demanding nearly $250,000 in child support payments for her plastic surgery bills.