Kevin Costner’s estranged wife has accused the Yellowstone hunk of being “evasive” about his financial assets in the bitter divorce battle over his $400 million fortune, RadarOnline.com can exclusively reveal.
A raging Christine Baumgartner slammed her Field of Dreams ex in court documents asking a California judge to sanction Costner with an $8,985. fine for deploying a financial “smokescreen” just weeks before a crucial August 31 evidentiary hearing.
Baumgartner, 49, complained Costner has only handled over financial records for only 4 of his 24 companies and has refused to turn over the books for his massive four-film series Horizon: An American Sagaand the contracts detailing his earnings for starring in the hit Yellowstone TV series.
“There is no telling what other documents in response to this Demand that (Costner) has chosen to withhold because he continues to provide evasive and incomplete information regarding the documents in existence and his basis for refusing to produce them,” Baumgartner’s lawyer stated in court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com.
“(Costner) has made it evident that he will refuse to produce all contracts related to his current business endeavors and professional services until there is an Order compelling him to do so.”
The strategic attack by Baumgartner comes nearly two weeks after the Dances With Wolves actor skewered the mother of his three children, ages 16, 14 and 13, for refusing to answer basic discovery questions regarding the premarital agreement (PMA) which are needed for the November battle over alimony and child support payments.
Costner accused Baumgartner of refusing to explain why she is contesting the prenup and asked the judge to slap her with a $14,237.50 fine for the stall tactics that have deprived his team of lawyers the opportunity to develop an attack plan for the crucial trial over the validity of the prenup.
Baumgartner initially demanded $232k a month in child support but Santa Barbara Superior Court Judge Thomas P. Anderle
The latest scrum kicked off on June 2 when their respective lawyers and forensic accountants began bickering over what financial records are relevant in the divorce drama, the court documents showed.
Baumgartner wanted the Untouchables star to hand over records for every single penny he’s earned over the past couple of years while Costner’s team is claiming some of the bookkeeping documents are Hollywood confidential.
“(Costner) is not entitled to ignore those reasonable requests and withhold the relevant documents that (Baumgartner) has requested,” her lawyer Andie E. Slein wrote in court documents.
So far, Costner has refused to hand over any contracts for his massive Horizon film or the financial records for Yellowstone.
“In their August 18, 2023, (Costner’s) counsel indicated for the first time that there is an operating agreement in effect with respect to (Costner’s) “Horizon” project, but that (Costner) would not be producing it as it is ‘highly confidential’ and ‘not relevant.’”
“Costner’s) objection that such documents are “highly confidential” is similarly a smokescreen, as there is a confidentiality agreement in place in this matter that would resolve any such concerns.”
Costner’s lawyers, however, argued they have provided documents for 98-percent of his cash-flow available for support payments – since the terms of the prenup make all the financial evidence irrelevant.
Costner complained his ex “seeks documents that are not relevant given the parties entered into a Premarital Agreement containing a limitation on spousal support and providing that all income earned during marriage would be the separate property of the spouse earning the income and providing for no community property.”