Kevin Costner has taken the stand during his divorce hearing, sometimes chuckling and other times getting into an angry war of words with his ex-wife’s lawyer.
He testifies about his personal wealth and whether he believes her new rental home is “similar” to his sprawling beachfront estate.
When asked if the single property compares to his five-lot complex, the veteran actor said, “I only live in one of the properties, so I think they are comparable. I don’t think they are equal.’
When attorney John Rydell asked if he wanted to swap homes with his ex, Costner, who wore black-rimmed glasses, burst out laughing and joked, “This is awkward!”
He continued, “No, I wouldn’t, but not because I don’t think that house is comparable.
“I raised three children at home, their hands are in the stone. I think most people would understand that.’
He added with a smile, “There are some features (of Baumgartner’s new home) I’d like to have in mine.”
Kevin Costner will come to the stand Friday morning and will be questioned by his estranged wife Christine Baumgartner’s legal team.
Christine arrives at court on Friday for the second day of her custody hearing
Costner’s testimony followed a morning dominated by arguments over numbers and whether or not the actor’s tax obligations had been taken into account.
At one point, the actor was seen nodding in agreement when his attorney Susan Wiesner got forensic accountant Jill Bombino to accept that his tax payments had not been deducted from her numbers.
Rydell claimed this was because Costner failed to turn over his tax returns to his wife’s team.
Both Costner and Baumgartner arrived early for the second day, with Costner sneaking in through a side door in a navy suit. Baumgartner wore black pants and a white blouse, accompanied by her lawyer Laura Wasser.
Costner’s new role is due to his ongoing divorce battle with the couple fighting over child support – he wants to pay $60,000 a month while she demands $161,592.
On the opening day of the two-day hearing, the court heard how Costner rakes in $1,468,953 a month and lives in a sprawling beachfront property with five lots that Baumgartner says is worth between $75 and $95 million.
She currently rents a luxury home for $40,000 a month, but says it’s not good enough for their family and wants to trade for a $150,000 a month home close to her old one if she can get her child support. bumped into.
During her testimony, Baumgartner described the family’s lavish lifestyle — including Christmas parties where the couple shipped 40 tons of snow to the sunny Santa Barbara and Aspen vacations on Costner’s 160,000-acre ranch.
But things got tense when the subject of Josh Connor — a family friend she traveled to Hawaii with last month — came up.
Costner has accused her of dating the recently divorced Connor. As a result, Baumgartner was forced to deny that the pair were an item on the stand and had to try and explain the two envelopes of cash he gave her — each containing $10,000.
One was handed to her mother, who had enjoyed monthly payments of $5,000 per month on her mortgage until the divorce.
Baumgartner says she kept the other one at home and eventually returned it to Connor “because I don’t need the money right now.”
She told the court that he dropped the envelopes in her purse after confiding in him that she was worried about her finances due to the ongoing divorce battle.
The mother-of-three also admitted to borrowing $80,000 from her brother to pay the first installment of the rent on her new home, but handed that over to Costner, who she said had previously deducted cash from her current child support payments.
She said she had since repaid the money to her brother, but squirmed when Susan Wiesner — one of Costner’s lawyers — asked if she planned to get a job or actually planned to pay her bills with the child support she was awarded. .
The hearing is about the future of their three children: sons Cayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and daughter Grace, 13
Baumgartner, who moved out of the marital home last month after a court battle, said her new $40,000-a-month rental home in Montecito doesn’t compare to the one she left behind.
Baumgartner’s attorney spoke about the family’s lavish lifestyle when they were in Aspen, Colorado — describing how the ranch has towpaths that light up at night and play music through the trees, as well as multiple canoes and fishing lakes.
The 49-year-old also got sharp when Wiesner pointed out that she bought her parents each a $50,000 BMW SUV in late 2022 and early 2023, and acquired a membership at the Montecito Country Club for herself and her family around the same time. .
Membership fees at the luxury golf club start at $100,000 but can go up to $275,000 for the highest tier.
Before that, Baumgartner has also long explained why her new hometown does not offer her children a “similar” lifestyle to their father’s.
She straightened a pair of white-rimmed glasses and confidently spoke to the court through a series of photos of Costner’s property in Carpinteria — which included photos of the bleached wood deck, an infinity pool overlooking the ocean, a chicken coop, and two guest cottages.
Interior photos showed decor designed to match what she described as “California living,” with colorful striped rugs, tan leather couches, and a huge marble table with dark wood chairs overlooking the ocean.
Baumgartner, who introduced himself to the court as “Costner,” also spoke of the family’s sporty lifestyle, which included regular surfing, fishing, scuba diving and volleyball.
That includes a boat owned by their son Cayden, 16, and a special room set aside for the family’s large collection of surfboards, wetsuits and paddleboards.
Baumgartner was discussed with Josh Connor — whom she described as a “family friend” — during her two recent vacations to Hawaii in March and July. They are photographed in Hawaii in July
Costner has accused her of dating the recently divorced Connor. As a result, Baumgartner was forced to deny that the pair were an item on the stand and had to try and explain the two envelopes of cash he gave her — each containing $10,000.
The Carpinteria property consists of five separate lots, one of which is a former neighbour’s residence, purchased in 2016 and now used as a guest house, as well as a place to “sit by the fire and roast marshmallows” and to host family gatherings .
In his opening remarks, Baumgartner’s attorney John Rydell referred to the eye-watering sums involved – saying that Costner rakes in more than $1.4 million a month.
During his statement two weeks ago, the Dances with Wolves star estimated his monthly living expenses at $240,000, but he doesn’t want to pay his ex more than $60,000 a month.
Rydell also talked about the family’s lavish lifestyle when they were in Aspen, Colorado, describing how the ranch has toboggan trails that light up at night and play music through the trees, as well as multiple canoes and fishing ponds.
According to Rydell, the property is currently being rented for as much as $50,000 per day.