Kevin Costner’s estranged wife Kristen tears up on the stand during his child custody hearing

Kevin Costner He appeared for his estranged wife in a Santa Barbara, California courtroom on Thursday for a disputed child support hearing, and the confrontation proved to be an emotional one.

Christine Baumgartner took the stand and choked back tears as the questioner turned from Yellowstone Ownership of the star’s private beach club Expansive farm In Aspen, Colorado, the children have vacationed on many occasions and consider the property a special place. An eyewitness told ET that Baumgartner “began to tear up and reached for a handkerchief” when he began this part of the interrogation. This was followed by a 30-second pause before the judge ordered a five-minute break.

Costner and Baumgartner are in court to settle their bitter dispute over how much Costner must pay monthly in support of their three children — sons Kayden, 16, and Hayes, 14, and daughter Grace, 13. Costner ordered her to be paid $129,000 per month (He wanted to pay $51,900), and I recently went to court asking for the amount to be increased to $175,000 per month (ie initially wanted $248,000 per month). Baumgartner Submit a request for divorce In May after 18 years of marriage.

The 68-year-old actor was dressed in a beige suit and black tie and, according to the eyewitness, looked relaxed during the session. However, his behavior changed when Baumgartner’s attorney stated in court that Costner had enough money to pay their legal bills. A point of contention at recent days.

“He looked annoyed when Christine’s lawyer said he had to pay attorney’s fees,” the eyewitness said. “He visibly shook his head when the lawyer said he could pay for both.”

The eyewitness went on to say that Costner was not shy about looking at Baumgartner, 49, before she took the stage.

The eyewitness said: “He was sipping his water and looking at her.” “And he did not avert his gaze.”

At the hearing, Baumgartner testified that it was important for the children to have a “similar lifestyle” to the one they enjoyed when she and Costner were still a couple, and therefore asked the court to increase the amount Costner must pay her in monthly child support. . She testified that the children loved the beach club property and were “at home in the water”.

But ahead of the hearing, Costner’s legal team on Wednesday afternoon submitted new court documents criticizing Baumgartner’s claim that he “strongly refuses” to pay child support sufficient to meet the children’s reasonable needs.

In court documents obtained by ET, Costner called Baumgartner’s claim “patently false and intentionally inflammatory,” while insisting that Costner and Baumgartner “simply disagree about what ‘reasonable needs’ means in the context of child support.” Nor did Costner mince words when describing her “unfounded personal attacks” on him.

“Kristen’s continued jihad against Kevin’s character adds a level of hostility to this proceeding that is completely unnecessary,” court documents state.

In the same court documents, Costner claimed that Baumgartner had a “boyfriend” — an idea she later refuted — and that the friend “recently gave her $20,000.”

On the stand at the hearing Thursday, Baumgartner I asked her about her vacation in Hawaii In July with her and Costner’s mutual friend, Josh Connor. Baumgartner was asked if Connor was her boyfriend, and she replied, “No.” However, Baumgartner admitted that Connor gave her $20,000. She was emotional on the stage and wiped away her tears when she revealed that half of the money was given to her mother. When asked why she was so upset, Baumgartner said she was worried about her mother’s health. She also stated that during the marriage, Costner gave her mother $5,000 a month, which she said her mother no longer received.

As for Baumgartner’s claim that the children are “at home in the water” and thus require more child support in order to provide a “similar lifestyle” like the one they enjoyed at Costner’s oceanfront beach resort, the representative stated that Baumgartner actually rented the full-acre house Four-bedroom property in nearby Montecito, “just 4 minutes from the beach (5 minutes by bike).” Costner also mentioned that Baumgartner’s house in Montecito — which was on a six-month lease for $40,000 — also had a larger pool than the one at his beach club.

He concluded in court documents that “the children’s reasonable needs are fully met by the child support order of $63,209 per month” and that “support greater than this amount is simply disguised spousal support.” He added: “Christine will have the opportunity to convince the court of her right to receive spousal support, but this is not the issue at hand in this hearing.”

Costner and Baumgartner have a second child custody hearing on Friday.

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