Kevin Costner Finally Broke Silence Over His Messy Divorce: He Feels 'Betrayed' And Things Got Ugly

• After years of living together as a married couple, Kevin Costner's wife suddenly filed for divorce.
• After filing for divorce, Costner's ex, Christine Baumgartner, refused to move out of his house and wanted to change the prenup.
• After lengthy legal battles, Costner finally spoke out about his messy divorce.

Kevin Costner, most widely known for the film "Field of Dreams, as well as the hit TV show "Yellowstone," first met his second wife, Christine Baumgartner, in 2004. After tying the knot, the actor expressed his reticence to have another child, already sharing a brood with his first wife, Cindy Silva.

Baumgartner set Costner an ultimatum, which eventually convinced him to have kids with her. Three years after they said their vows, the pair welcomed their first child together and went on to have two more later on. Costner and Baumgartner spent 18 years together, and most people assumed things were going well for the married pair.

The facade would soon fall away, with the pair deciding in April 2023, seemingly out of the blue, to separate. Sources indicated that Baumgartner initiated the split, listing her reason for the separation as irreconcilable differences. The pair would move on and file for divorce in May, with a rep for Costner confirming the news.

Complications and Legal Battles

The divorce soon turned hostile, with the pair fighting over almost every aspect of the dissolution of their marriage. Baumgartner wanted to ensure she got enough out of the divorce to support herself comfortably. At the same time, Costner felt entitled to hold onto his property, seeing as they had signed a prenuptial agreement before getting married.

While Baumgarten seems to be taking a breather from the stress of the divorce, Costner has been devoting his time to his work and his family, saying little about the affair in public.

While the former spouses went head-to-head over their assets, reports circulated indicating Baumgartner had grown unhappy in the marriage because of Costner's busy work schedule. He filmed "Yellowstone" in Montana, which meant he was often away from home, leaving his wife looking after the kids and the house.

Since their home was in Costner's name, Baumgartner was legally obligated to move out of the property once the divorce was in full effect, as per the terms of the prenup. That said, when the time came for Baumgartner to pack her things, she simply refused to leave the $145 million Santa Barbara property.

The prenup required her to vacate the compound within 30 days of the divorce, but Baumgartner had other plans. She only left after her lawyers and Costner's sorted out who would be keeping which household items. When the dispute over the property was finally sorted, Baumgartner raised a new issue.

The mother of three demanded a large amount of child support, which also turned out to be a point of contention between the two parties. Eventually, the two sets of lawyers managed to hash out an agreement, but not before Baumgartner claimed she had always felt pressured into signing the prenup in the first place.

By the end of the legal battles, Costner had entirely refused to interact with Baumgartner in person, communicating solely through legal intermediaries. After a drawn-out legal process, Costner eventually decided to try and bury the hatchet, hoping he and his ex could settle things with some semblance of dignity. A source shared:

"Kevin doesn't hate Christine, but he does want a clean break. Of course, there are resentments and animosity, but that comes with the territory, and he's trying not to make it personal."

A source close to Costner has opened up about the actor's latest approach to the divorce, saying he wants to focus on his kids and get the fighting over with so he can invest his time in new film projects. A source claimed, "Kevin feels betrayed by Christine, but he wants to take the high ground. Kevin doesn't want to waste more time fighting with Christine."

Costner isn't the only one who wants to move on with his life and start anew, though. Baumgartner has recently been seen breaking away from the undoubtedly stressful life in California by vacationing on the Big Island of Hawaii. TMZ reported that Baumgartner was spending some time with a close friend of hers and Costner's.

The mother of three is soaking up the sun at a luxurious resort with Josh Connor, a financier friend who has gotten close with Costner and Baumgartner over the years of living near them in California. While it's easy to jump to conclusions about the nature of their relationship, a source assured, "[There is] absolutely no romantic relationship. They have been good friends for years."

The vacation most likely comes as a welcome break, since there are still a number of legal proceedings to get out of the way. TMZ reported that the validity of the prenup is still up for debate, which means there's a lot of money on the line for both parties. If the prenup is deemed valid, Baumgartner would be obligated to repay Costner's $1.5 million he gave her to find a new home.

While Baumgarten seems to be taking a breather from the stress of the divorce, Costner has been devoting his time to his work and his family, saying little about the affair in public. Recently, however, the actor has revealed a bit more information on how he's dealing with the split. People close to him noted that the entire ordeal has definitely taken its toll, but the actor is hopeful:

"Kevin's been to hell and back, but the feeling you get from people in his circle is that he's finally coming out the other side. He's throwing himself into his work and surrounding himself with people he can trust. Divorce sucks, but he's toughing it out."

Sources have also confirmed that Costner and Baumgartner's kids have been highly mature about the separation, although it has definitely been tough on them as well. One source noted that the kids are heartbroken to see their parents at odds, but they understand what is happening and are being brave.

Costner's daughter from his previous relationship, 37-year-old Lily, has also been a great source of support for her dad. With the help of his kids, the actor has remained level-headed throughout the divorce and remains hopeful that it will all come to a fruitful end.