Kevin Costner says he still has love for wife Christine Baumgartner following child support divorce battle
Having spent months in a bitter legal battle over child support, Kevin Costner has won his case against his ex-wife.
The actor, 68, has reached a settlement with Christine Baumgartner, 49, after she sought to claim hundreds of thousands of dollars in child support payments.
Despite their legal woes, Costner still says he still has ‘love’ for his former wife.
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Prior to Baumgartner filing for divorce, the couple had been married for 18 years and shared three children together.
However, they separated in May this year and began a bitter legal battle over child support.
Initially, Baumgartner sought $161,000 in monthly child support payments.
Though after months of legal wrangling, a judge has ruled that Baumgartner will receive $63,000 per month.
This is less than half of the $129,000 she had previously been receiving monthly, and almost $100,000 less than the $161,000 she had been seeking in court.
The announcement came after an intense two-day court hearing where Costner and his former wife laid out what they believed to be a fair sum.
During a lunch break at the court in Santa Barbara, California, Costner made a heart-breaking comment about his ex to press.
The 68-year-old told reporters: "This is a horrible place to be, but this is where we’re at."
“It feels so bad,” he continued, before adding: “We’re talking about somebody I love on the other side. I just can’t.”
When asked if he 'still has love' for his estranged wife by a reporter, Costner replied: “Of course.”
Following the settlement, Costner gave an interview with Fox News Digital and revealed how ‘vulnerable’ the legal saga had made him feel.
"You know, when you have a life that long with somebody, there is no winner... and it's this big, crazy thing called life and how it unravels so quickly,” he confessed.
"One minute you feel like you're on top of the world, and then you realize how, you know, how vulnerable you are."
During the final stages of the hearing, Costner had argued that he didn’t want to pay an ‘inflated’ level of child support as this would force him to work on a project he didn’t want to.
He told the court: "I want to help but the thought of having things inflated to the point I can't do what I want to do…"
The Bodyguard actor then apologised to the court, saying: "Somehow in this unusual world, we didn't make it and for that, I'm sorry."
A further hearing is now due to take place in November.
Topics: Celebrity, Parenting, US News, Kevin Costner
Katherine Sidnell