'Yellowstone' star Kevin Costner and estranged wife Christine Baumgartner are back in divorce court over child support payments
Kevin Costner's court appearance shows 'sign of respect,' celebrity divorce attorney says
Kevin Costner appeared in-person during a divorce court hearing despite being approved for testimony via zoom. Celebrity divorce attorney Christopher Melcher called the move a "sign of respect" to the court.
Kevin Costner took the stand Friday in his ongoing divorce battle with estranged wife Christine Baumgartner.
Baumgartner's legal team began questioning Costner specifically about his finances and his total expenses for himself and the couple's three children.
Both Costner and Baumgartner are present at Friday's hearing.
Thursday's court hearing saw Baumgartner break down in tears while Costner's legal team threw insults in surprise court documents filed that same morning. The "Yellowstone" actor's legal team accused Baumgartner of a "relentless ‘jihad’" against Costner's character in the documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
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Kevin Costner took the stand Friday as his estranged wife asks for his monthly child support payments to be increased. (Lionel Hahn/Arturo Holmes/Karwai Tang)
"Christine's relentless ‘jihad’ against Kevin's character adds a level of animosity to this proceeding that is wholly unnecessary, and meant to distract from the intellectual exercise at hand," the docs stated.
Baumgartner formally requested a judge set a new monthly child support payment of $161,592 on Thursday amid the ongoing divorce proceedings. The new number is $31,837 more than the original set amount of $129,755.
Costner's legal team also accused Baumgartner of receiving $20,000 from a "boyfriend" in the new court documents. However, Baumgartner revealed she had received the $20,000 from Joshua Connor in court Thursday.
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On the stand, Baumgartner said Connor is a longtime friend of "7 or 8 years." When Baumgartner's attorney John Rydell asked, "Is he your boyfriend?" Baumgartner replied, "No."
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Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner are battling over child support payments. (Getty Images)
Christine filed for divorce from the "Fields of Dreams" star in May after 18 years of marriage, citing "irreconcilable differences."
In her request for the updated child support, her lawyers argued that Costner is "a man of extraordinary wealth."
"Unlike many family law litigants, Kevin can pay guideline child support, as well as make a further contribution to Christine's fees, without it making any meaningful difference in his life," docs stated.
Costner's legal team fired back days later and accused Baumgartner of "game playing." They also requested a court order Baumgartner pay $14,237.50 in his attorneys' fees for having to file the motion to compel her new request.
Kevin Costner and ex Christine Baumgartner married in Aspen in 2004. The former couple have three children together. (WireImage House)
