Kevin Costner: FIGHT FOR HIS FORTUNE

THE ACTOR AND HIS ESTRANGED WIFE GO HEAD TO HEAD AS THEIR DIVORCE BATTLE HEATS UP

- Sara Tapia

She may have come out all guns blazing when filing for divorce from Kevin Costner, but the actor’s estranged wife, Christine Baumgartner, has taken a blow in their already-acrimonious split after being forced out of the home they formerly shared. In the warring pair’s first court hearing on July 5, a judge ordered the 49-year-old to vacate the Santa Barbara mansion she and Costner have called home since tying the knot in 2004 by the end of the month.

The $219 million compound has been a point of contention since Baumgartner “blindsided” Costner by filing for divorce on May 1 citing “irreconcilable differences”. He claimed that the handbag designer has refused to vacate their home, despite a clause in their prenuptial agreement that requires her to do so within 30 days.

“Christine’s agreement to move out was and is unconditional,” Costner, 68, stated in court documents filed last month, alleging that she is staying put in order to force him into agreeing to “various financial demands” when he has already “done everything in his power to make the transition as seamless as possible” and provide means for her to relocate – including reportedly depositing $1.5 million into her bank account.

However, Baumgartner believes the money is a trap. “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,” she alleged in her filing. A hearing for the validity of the prenup is reportedly set for November.