Kevin Costner's Wife: Get to Know Christine Baumgartner

Kevin Costner has appeared in tons of iconic films throughout his Hollywood career, and sadly, he has joined a number of other celebrities in the divorced club. Christine Baumgartner filed for divorce on May 1, 2023, Closer confirmed via court information, after 18 years of marriage, and their legal proceedings have quickly become messy.

Kevin and Christine first met in the ’80s. At the time, the Dances with Wolves actor was actually married to his first wife, Cindy Costner, while Christine was working as a professional model. Although the two only became acquaintances, sparks flew in 1999 after running into each other at a restaurant.

Considering Kevin was long-divorced from his former spouse — whom he was married to from 1978 to 1994 — he was open to finding love again. The Academy Award winner and the fashion designer gave their relationship a shot and dated for four years.

Although things were going well for the couple, Kevin and Christine called it quits in 2003. The Bodyguard actor and his love briefly split because they couldn’t agree on whether or not to have children. Christine yearned to have kids, while Kevin was content being the dad of Annie Costner, Lily Costner and Joe Costner from his marriage with Cindy. The actor is also the father of son Liam Costner with ex-girlfriend Bridget Rooney.

However, their split didn’t last long. Kevin once opened up about finding his way back to Christine. “Fear kept me from marrying Christine,” he exclusively told Closer Weekly in June 2018. “[She] wanted a child, but I was afraid I couldn’t be an effective father.”

However, after dating for four years, “I woke up and thought, ‘Am I going to lose a beautiful woman who is willing to be with me to my very last breath because I am afraid to say yes to a child?’” he recalled at the time. “That’s all it took. Sometimes you learn the thing you’re most afraid of will save your life.”

After getting back together, Kevin and the blonde beauty tied the knot in a romantic wedding ceremony on their property in Aspen, Colorado, in 2004. Three years into their marriage, they welcomed their first child together when son Cayden was born in May 2007. They completed their family with the births of son Hayes in February 2009 and daughter Grace in June 2010.

Scroll through the gallery below to learn all about Kevin’s estranged wife, Christine.

She’s a Former Model

Before she became the wife of one of Hollywood’s hottest hunks, Christine was successful in her own right. Aside from being a professional model, she established quite the brand as a handbag designer.

It seems Christine is quite comfortable on the camera as she’s made multiple appearances on TV. According to IMDb, she’s been featured on The Johannes B. Kerner Show, Entertainment Tonight, Inside Edition and many more.

She’s a Proud Mom

Even before she married Kevin, Christine knew she wanted to become a mom. “She said, ‘I’m going to wait for you, but not long. When you come to your senses, come back to me,’” Kevin told Parade in 2012. “And I did.”

The two exchanged vows in 2004 and expanded the loving dad’s brood with the birth of their three kids, Cayden, Hayes and Grace.

They Tried To Make Marriage Work

Even though Christine and Kevin go through their fair share of ups and downs like every other couple, they make sure to always work through it. The Waterworld actor credited the “ability to say you’re sorry” as the secret to their long-lasting marriage.

“I know that sounds so simple. If you’re willing to tell somebody that you love them, are you also willing to say you’re sorry?” he once told Parade. “You need to, even when you think you’re in the right.”

Raising Their Kids Out of the Spotlight

While Kevin and Christine have made occasional exceptions of bringing their three kids to their dad’s Hollywood film premieres, the children have grown up out of the spotlight for the most part. The family spent quality time at the actor’s beloved 165-acre Dunbar Ranch, outside Aspen, Colorado. It features a private ice rink and a baseball field that harkens back to the star’s 1989 tear-jerker Field of Dreams.
“It’s just beautiful, with three lakes and a river running through it,” he exclusively told Closer in November 2020. “My whole family spends some of our best times there.”
The couple also resided in a beachside estate just south of Santa Barbara, Calif., which puts Kevin closer to Hollywood. His Paramount + series Yellowstone is filmed in both Utah and Montana, but you can always count on Kevin to travel back and forth to spend time with his wife and kids.

Making Claims

As Christine and Kevin’s divorce got underway, she claimed that she could not leave the couple’s home due to a lack of funds. Calling out her estranged husband in court paperwork, Christine alleged that Kevin was utilizing “public attacks” with the intent to “pressure me to move out without a temporary child support agreement in place.”

“Kevin is trying to force my concession that the spousal support limitation is valid by virtue of my ‘acceptance’ of these funds,” she continued. “I believe that Kevin’s goal is to get me to tap into this money so he can argue that I’ve waived my right to challenge the premarital agreement.”

Child Support Fights

Amid their child support fight, Kevin claimed that Christine wanted $248,000 a month from him, not for the children but for her own use.

“Christine allocates 60 percent of expenses such as private trainer, unallocated credit card expenses, and her plastic surgery to the minor children without any explanation or basis,” Kevin alleged in court documents, adding that Christine allegedly has “plastic surgery expenses of $188,500/month” and that their “children do not use the services of private trainers, only Christine does.”

Relocating

In court documents filed in June 2023, Kevin made it clear that Christine was not welcome in their California home anymore. The paperwork noted that the Yellowstone star “respectfully requests that Christine be ordered to vacate his separate property residence forthwith and no later than July 13, 2023.”