Kevin Costner and his estranged wife are meeting in the middle.
A judge ruled that the "Yellowstone" actor will give his ex, Christine Baumgartner, nearly $130,000 a month in child support — a number much higher than he initially offered, and a number significantly lower than she requested.
The judge's ruling is tentative and another hearing is on the horizon, but TMZ notes that a decision like this rarely changes.
According to court files, Kevin and Christine will equally split their three children's health care expenses, extracurricular activities and private school tuition. The Oscar winner has also been ordered to give Christine $200,000 for attorney's fees and another $100,000 in forensic costs.
Christine, Kevin's wife of 18 years, initially requested $248,000 per month in child support, but the "Dances With Wolves" actor said he can't "afford" to fork over that kind of dough. After calling the financial request "astounding," Kevin added, "I will earn substantially less in 2023 than I did in 2022. This is because I am no longer under contract for Yellowstone, the principal source of my income last year." He claimed that his ex "understood" that this upcoming year would be "a difficult year financially" because the "Yellowstone" checks are no longer flooding in.
After Kevin offered to pay $52,000 a month in child support, Christine called the amount "completely inappropriate" and equated it to crumbs — she said there was just no way she could find a home suitable for herself and the kids with that kind of financial backing. The kids, she explained, are accustomed to a lifestyle that simply can't be provided on just $52,000 a month.
The former couple's divorce has gotten acrimonious, as Kevin had to go to court to get Christine to leave their shared $145 million family home, something she allegedly refused to do despite a clause in their prenuptial agreement requiring her to vacate within 30 days of the divorce filing, which occurred on May 1. Christine's lawyers argued that she would leave the home at the end of August as long as Kevin made child support payments.
On July 5, a judge ruled that Christine must leave by the end of July.