Kevin Costner’s ex-wife detailed the items she will be taking from the $145 million mansion they shared
After two months of dispute, a judge ruled that Christine Baumgartner must leave the mansion she shared with Kevin Costner by July 31 Photo © 2023 Backgrid/The Grosby Group
Christine Baumgartner has been forced to photograph all the items she plans to take from the mansion as evidence for the actor’s legal team.
After a scandalous legal battle, Christine Baumgartner, Kevin Costner’s ex-wife, is vacating the Malibu mansion the two shared for nearly 20 years. Since last May, when the couple officially separated, Baumgartner refused to leave the house even though the prenuptial agreement that both parties signed obliged her to look for another residence within 30 days in case of divorce.
Christine argued a lack of resources and planning on Costner’s part to secure a home for the children they share, but in the end, Judge Thomas Anderle declared on July 5 that Christine had to leave the mansion no later than July 31.
Following the judge’s words, Baumgartner began his move and complied with Costner’s wishes that he so desperately asked the judges for. However, the fight is not over, because now, the actor raised his voice again, assuring that his ex-wife plans to “empty the house”.
To avoid getting to his $145 million mansion, Costner went ahead and his legal team drafted a document with some items that Baumgartner would be “forbidden” to remove from the residence. Furniture, appliances and works of art are some of the goods that Costner’s ex-wife is forbidden to remove from the house, limiting herself only to toiletries, clothes, handbags and jewelry.
Christine Baumgartner responded to accusations by her ex-husband, Kevin Costner, about having “emptied” the mansion they shared for almost 20 years Backgrid/The Grosby Group
In the face of Costner’s apparent paranoia, Baumgartner has responded with photographs of all the items he has packed so far such as family heirlooms, clothing, a bicycle, mementos and gifts from friends. The photographs of the items have been sent as PDF documents to Costner’s lawyers and moved to a storage facility. However, it appears that Christine has not fully complied with her ex-husband’s request since other items she has stored include silverware, cookware, office chairs, an oil painting and a photograph of “mother and daughter” riding a horse.
In addition to limiting the items Baumgartner can remove from the mansion, Costner is demanding more specific information on each of the items his ex-wife plans to take.
“For example, the petitioner lists ‘Dishes and bowls/silverware’ without specifying which dishes, which bowls and which silverware. She lists ‘Christine’s family heirlooms and/or gifts to her,’ but does not specify which items she believes were gifted to her (as opposed to both parties or the children),” read documents Costner’s legal team issued July 14.
And while Christine’s departure from the mansion is still a sensitive issue, another issue that has made the separation a complete chaos has been that of alimony. Kevin shares three children with Christine: Cayden Wyatt, 16, Hayes Logan, 14, and Grace Avery, 13. At first, Costner offered USD 38 thousand per month that would decrease as their children grew up; Christine rejected this offer and demanded USD 248 thousand, a figure that was even a condition to leave the mansion.
Finally, the judge ordered Costner to pay USD 129 thousand per month in alimony for the next four months. Kevin and Christine still have a hearing pending in November to adjust this figure, which could increase or decrease depending on what the judge determines.
During these months, the headlines were full of the dispute between Costner and Baumgartner to get her out of the mansion, but everything seems to indicate that this was only the tip of the iceberg of a legal fight that is far from over.