Heartbreak at the Real Yellowstone Ranch! Costner Surprised by Divorce.

Kevin Costner was recently blindsided when he was served with divorce papers from his wife of 18 years, Christine Baumgartner. Costner’s agent informed the press the divorce wasn’t a mutual decision. Kevin is stunned Christine filed for a divorce.

Christine has pulled a move we have learned to expect from Costner’s Yellowstone character, John Dutton. Christine surprised Costner with the divorce and is now refusing to leave the couple’s 145 million dollar estate.   The estate was purchased before their marriage and is his separate property, according to a prenup they both signed. But she is refusing to leave the home with their children unless Costner meets her financial demands.

Sleeping in the Bunkhouse

The divorce filing states that Costner is required by a prenuptial agreement to pay Christine $1,000,000 after she filed for divorce.  The prenup also requires him to pay her $200,000 to purchase a new home. Christine is holding out for more.

Costner cannot simply send his sidekick, Rip Wheeler, to evict Christine, cowboy-style, from the estate. This divorce is taking place in the real world and under the scrutiny of the press and the court. In a divorce, a spouse cannot evict a spouse without a court order.

Costner would need to show a need or strong reason for an eviction. Costner’s divorce attorney has filed a request with the court, which is not likely to be granted. This is the home Christine has lived in since the marriage. This is the home the children grew up in.  While Costner has other homes, he commonly lives in. Until a court hearing is held or until he gives in to her demands, Costner will likely be sleeping in the bunkhouse.

The Dusty Trail Ahead

This is Kevin’s second divorce with young children, so he may already know what lies ahead. Kevin Costner has described getting another divorce with young kids as his “worst nightmare.” It appears he may be correct, because reports indicate they are not agreeing on custody schedules of how to divide the assets acquired during the marriage that are not included in the prenup.

Prenups can be challenged. They are commonly enforced if each spouse had an opportunity for legal counsel, a reasonable list of assets and debts was disclosed, and the terms are not unconscionable. Unconscionable is found when the prenup was sprung on a spouse right before the wedding, or the terms are extremely one-sided. There are reports Christine is saying the spousal support term is unconscionable, and therefore, the prenup should be voided.

Custody Showdown 

Costner is not shying away from the gunfight. Christine filed for divorce, and Kevin answered her petition with a request for joint custody. According to a source close to Christine, she is filing for divorce because Kevin is often absent for long stretches due to his demanding film schedule. The prenup is not controlling in this area because prenups cannot contain terms regarding custody or child support.

In Nevada, the court assumes parents having joint custody is in the child’s best interest. However, they may award one primary parent custody if the other parent cannot adequately care for the children for at least 146 days per year.  If Kevin is frequently traveling for work and not routinely available to parent the children, he may not have a strong case for joint custody.  Fighting for custody of his children might be the reason Costner recently resigned from his role on the show Yellowstone?

Cliff Hanger

How will this all work out for Costner?  A contested celebrity divorce involving three young children could be Dutton’s toughest challenge yet.  The jury is out, but with him leaving the show, Kevin might be attempting to save his marriage. Here’s to hoping the cowboy can find his way and ride off into the sunset with women.

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