When attorney Jacqueline Misho sent an email earlier this month, she ended it with a stark warning to her opponent. “It’s not a good idea to bite the hand that feeds,” she said bluntly, abruptly deviating from the legal language of her profession.
You may be wondering, to whom is the fearsome Ms. Misho addressing such an extraordinarily blunt admonition?
The answer lies with Christine Baumgartner, Hollywood superstar Kevin Costner’s estranged 49-year-old wife, who is representing Ms. Misho and is the “nurturing hand” in this clearly worded warning.
What made Christine, who was being comforted by one of her handsome banker friends yesterday, so unsubtle wary?
Intriguingly, 68-year-old Costner’s abrupt split in May already seems to be shaping up to be one of Hollywood’s most acrimonious — and petty — divorces.
Court documents obtained exclusively by the Mail show an all-out war raging between the couple, ranging from Christine allegedly spending $100,000 in alimony from Costner on plastic surgery to owning the cooking pots and dog bed.
In fact, these documents make it clear just how dramatic — and quick — this turn of events is, especially considering that just a few weeks ago, Costner made it pretty clear that he’s been forced to split from Christine, with whom he has three children.
Kevin Costner and his wife Christine Baumgartner are at odds over their alleged plastic surgery expenses — and over who gets a dog bed
As his spokesman then put it in a succinct statement released to confirm Christine had filed for divorce four days earlier: “It is with great sadness that circumstances beyond his control have arisen which have resulted in Mr. Costner having to attend a dissolution lawsuit.”
Fast-forward today, and Hollywood is set to watch the spectacle of a A-lister with a reported net worth of around $400 million who dabbles in kitchen appliances.
Apparently, the blunt email from Costner’s attorney was prompted by a list of items Christine wanted removed from the $145 million Santa Barbara beachfront lot that had served as the couple’s marital home.
In addition to the pots, pans, and dog bed, she asked permission to take a blue-and-white umbrella, a juicer, and an exercise bike.
Reasonable enough, one might think, but not for Costner. As his attorney clarifies, while he had no objection to her removing her toiletries, handbags, clothing, jewelry and “some Christmas decorations,” any other item had to be specifically agreed in writing.
Anyone who has been unlucky enough to go through an acrimonious breakup knows that even the smallest of things can cause conflict.
Still, a Hollywood source told the Mail yesterday that Costner’s divorce appears to be in a whole different league.
“You have a multimillion-dollar star fighting with his wife about taking a salad spinner out of the kitchen without a written agreement,” they said. “It’s incredibly petty.”
As for Costner’s behavior, an industry insider said, “Kevin has had a long-standing reputation in his professional life for being a tough negotiator,” they told the Mail this week. “It’s exciting that it seems he’s taking the same approach in his personal life.”
Court documents seen by the Mail reveal the animosity behind the couple’s sudden split after 19 years of marriage.
In one salvo, Costner not only accuses his estranged wife of spending child support on plastic surgery — a claim her lawyers have yet to respond to — but also says she withdrew cash from housekeeping credit cards to build a cash reserve before filing for divorce.
In turn, she accused the star of refusing to provide adequate support for the couple’s three children – Cayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and 13-year-old Grace – and also of trying to hide the true extent of his fortune.
“While we have not made any formal inquiries, we believe Mr Costner’s net worth is in excess of $400m (£309m) and his recently reported income is in excess of $19m (£15m) per year,” her lawyers wrote in a letter earlier this month, suggesting his ranch in Aspen alone was worth $200m.
So it’s no wonder that Costner came out fighting after the initial sadness about the breakup.
In addition to attorney Jacqueline Misho, he hired celebrity divorce attorney Laura Wasser, who has represented Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp and Kim Kardashian and is known as the “disso queen” for her role in breaking up high-profile marriages, as a clear sign that he wanted to get tough.
Just four months earlier, everything seemed fine: In January, Costner posted a video on Instagram apologizing that flooding caused him and Christine to miss the month’s Golden Globes ceremony, where he received a Best Actor nomination for his role as rancher John Dutton on the hit western drama series Yellowstone.
“No one is sadder than us that we can’t be there,” he said. “Chris had a beautiful dress. “I was looking forward to walking the red carpet with her.” Instead, he explained, his wife organized a family TV party with balloons.
In the face of this touching tribute, few would have guessed that something was amiss in a marriage considered one of the stronger bonds in show business. After first meeting on a golf course in 1998, they briefly separated in 2002 because Costner refused to have more children.
Already a father to four – he has three children, Annie, 39, Lily, 36, and 35-year-old Joe by his first wife Cindy Silva, and a son named Liam, 26, from a brief relationship with actress Bridget Rooney – Costner subsequently admitted his age made him afraid he couldn’t be an “effective father”.
Kevin and Christine are pictured at their 2004 wedding in Colorado. They tied the knot for life in front of 300 guests
The couple have three children together, aged 13, 14 and 16. Kevin is also the father of four children from two previous relationships
Overcoming his insecurities, he married Christine in September 2004 at Costner’s 450-acre Colorado ranch in front of 300 guests. Their three children followed in quick succession.
In the years that followed, the couple’s relationship seemed to get stronger and stronger.
“Our partnership has really taken center stage,” Costner said in a 2020 interview, in which he claimed lockdown has strengthened their relationship.
One can only wonder what “irreconcilable differences” Christine is referring to in her divorce application.
Costner officials have firmly dismissed rumors of infidelity as “defamatory” and also dismissed claims that the star’s filming schedule has meant lengthy absences from home, which has put pressure on the couple.
Whatever the case, it’s clear from the divorce papers that this formerly loving couple is now only arguing over the list of items Christine wanted removed from the family home — in addition to the dog bed, pots, pans, and parasol, she also requested “two swivel chairs” and some “plates and bowls,” and offered to photograph the requested items.
“Hopelessly vague and ambitious,” sniffed Costner’s advisor. Given this level of disagreement, it is not surprising that the two are also unable to reach agreement on more fundamental issues.
It’s clear from the divorce papers that this formerly loving couple’s only argument now is over the list of items Christine wanted removed from the family home
According to the court filings, even passing the news of the breakup to their children became a point of contention.
The three Costner children were eventually told of their parents’ split in a Zoom call from their father from Las Vegas, a decision Christine describes as “confusing.” For his part, Costner insists he was pushed into the measure after his wife constantly hesitated about how they would present the news of their split.
Costner has also made it clear from the start that he expects his ex to abide by the terms of the couple’s prenuptial agreement, which gives her 30 days from the start of the divorce proceedings to leave the marital home.
“Christine wanted this divorce. “She knew about the provision in the prenuptial agreement that required her to leave — she just ignored it,” his attorneys wrote in a letter.
That’s not the case, his wife replies, pointing out that while she’s well prepared for moving out of the villa they share, she has to secure financial security beforehand.
She accused her ex of effectively trying to “evict” her and their three children, saying she only has their best interests at heart. “I have to think of our three children.” . “My goal was and is to provide our children with as much stability as possible,” she wrote.
Christine suggests that Costner has agreed to a monthly payment of $248,000 (£192,000) – an amount he called “amazing” and claimed he could only afford it by “liquidating assets”.
He called her request “grossly excessive and unfounded,” offered her $51,940 in return, and accused her of using her children’s support to fund her own vanity expenses.
“Christine attributes 60 percent of expenses such as personal trainers, unattributed credit card expenses and her plastic surgery to the underage children without any explanation or basis,” he wrote in a court document this month.
Forwards and backwards are the court filings, all of which contain staggering amounts and claims – including a statement by Costner’s lawyers that while their client made $19,517,064 (£15million) last year, he is expected to make “significantly less” this year because his contract with Yellowstone is expiring.
In another court filing, Costner alleges that before their separation, his wife took out cash to buy, among other things, a new full-size car.
“So it appears that Christine had planned her exit long before she told Costner in April 2023,” read one of the court filings. “The plaintiff has, in recent months, demonstrated a disturbing propensity to … seize the defendant’s property without his knowledge or consent.”
Whether this has anything to do with the dog bed and cooking pots, no one knows, but Costner isn’t giving up his kitchen gear without a fight.
Meanwhile, the presiding judge – while making it clear that Christine’s suggestion that her belongings be photographed was “not unreasonable” – has suggested that as a compromise, both sides could seek to settle the matter “in a timely manner” before it comes to trial. He also ordered Costner to pay alimony of $129,000 a month.
Given the extent of the rift between the pair, it seems unlikely there will be a settlement about their once-divided possessions any time soon – although in an interesting twist, it’s revealed that the former couple Costners will show a common front later this summer when they host a charity gala benefiting the emergency services.
Will the blue and white parasol be removed by then? Who can tell? Anyhow, it’s safe to assume the controversy surrounding these cooking utensils is still raging…