Kevin Costner ordered to pay estranged wife Christine $129,000 a month in child support
Claire Reid
Featured Image Credit: AFF / Associated Press / Alamy Stock Photo
Kevin Costner has been ordered to pay his estranged wife Christine Baumgartner $129,755 (£100,312) per month in child support.
The former couple tied the knot back in 2004 and share three children - two sons and a daughter.
Earlier this year, handbag designer Christine filed for divorce from the Yellowstone actor and has previously branded the amount she would receive in child support as ‘completely inappropriate’.
Their case has since gone to court, with Christine submitting a forensic accountant's report into the actor's earnings, while requesting $248,000 (£191,747) per month.
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Meanwhile, Costner claimed that a ‘reasonable’ amount of child support would be $51,940 (£40,154) a month - the same amount he is currently paying.
Yesterday (11 July) Judge Thomas Anderle made a tentative ruling for Costner to pay half of the amount requested by Christine - $129,755 a month.
Costner will also pay $200,000 (£154,635) in attorney's fees and $100,000 (£77,317) in forensic costs, according to legal documents seen by Fox News.
The parents will be required to pay half each of their children’s medical expenses, extracurricular activities and sport.
According to the Superior Court of California, a 'tentative ruling' is 'the proposed ruling of the court'. It states: "Parties who disagree may wish to continue with oral argument at the scheduled legal motion time. Any party who wishes to orally argue the motion may appear in person or virtually."
Christine had previously argued that the $51,940-a-month child support Costner was offering was 'inappropriate' when looking at his gross cash flow for 2022.
The documents stated: "His proposed support is less than the monthly rent he received for one of his guest houses, and less than the $68,000 (£52,606) per month he committed to paying in his declaration filed on June 8, 2023 in connection with his request for a preliminary injunction."
Celebrity lawyer and partner at Walzer, Melcher and Yoda, Christopher C Melcher told Fox News Digital: "Under the tentative ruling, Christine will receive one-half of the amount she was requesting.
“In that sense, it is another defeat for Christine, but no one should be complaining about getting $129,755 per month in child support.
"It is an outrageous sum of money, but Kevin has an unbelievable lifestyle, and the law allows for child support so the mother can maintain the same standard of living for the children."
A hearing in the custody case is set to later today (12 July).