By Mark Gray
4:30pm PDT, Sep 8, 2023
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Although he's worth more money than most people will ever see in multiple lifetimes, Kevin Costner is worried about his finances. Since he and his estranged wife, Christine Baumgartner, split earlier this year, the actor's finances have been a central focus due to the former couple's battle over child support payments. In a recent court hearing about that very issue, Kevin said his "biggest concern" right now is that "despite the cash he has … he could run out of money."
Click through to read why Kevin thinks he's a "unicorn" in Hollywood…
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According to Us Weekly, Kevin Costner told the court he's a "bit of a unicorn in the [entertainment] business" because he "uses his own money" to finance his projects. He's doing so again for his four-part film series set in the American West called "Horizon."
"I've mortgaged 10 acres on the water in Santa Barbara where I was going to build my last house," he told Deadline in May. "But I did it without a thought. It has thrown my accountant into a f****** conniption fit. But it's my life, and I believe in the idea and the story."
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In her initial request for child support, Christine Baumgartner asked for $248,000 per month, claiming the three children she and Kevin Costner share need a "comparable" lifestyle when they're with her as they have when they are with their father. A judge temporarily set the number at $129,755. On Sept. 1, Kevin scored a major win when a judge ruled in his favor and set his monthly child support payments at $63,209 — less than half what he was previously paying.
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Kevin Costner argued in court that his finances are inconsistent, noting that his pocketbook saw a huge influx in cash thanks to "Yellowstone." That sudden financial boon has not been the norm in his career. According to Us Weekly, forensic accounts determined that Kevin's income while he was starring on the drama series "was a complete aberration and provided Kevin with an unusually high level of income — a level he has never had in the past." According to their calculations, his "average cash flow" for the 30 months preceding June 30 was $1,308,920 per month with his "Yellowstone" earnings. Without the show, however, he earned $468,136 per month.
"The enormous difference in those figures establishes Kevin's point, i.e., that 'Yellowstone' was a once-in-a-lifetime event, and that going forward, his income will not reach that level — ever," the "Hidden Figures" star's legal team explained.
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While leaving the courthouse on Sept. 1, Kevin Costner spoke briefly about his contentious divorce: "This is a horrible place to be, but this is where we're at," he said.
