Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner’s divorce takes an ugly turn AGAIN as latest legal spat erupts over whether designer ‘understood’ pre-nup

Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner’s bitter divorce battle has taken a new turn — when a legal spat erupted over whether the jewelry designer “understood” their pre-nup.

Costner, 68, and Baumgartner, 49, initially tied the knot in 2004, with Christine filing for divorce on May 1 after 18 years of marriage – with the couple embroiled in a battle over their assets and child support.

Now the legal battle has taken a bizarre turn as in the actor’s latest filing, Christine and her legal team asked for a definition of the word “understand” in regards to whether they’d honored the terms of their pre-nup of 2004 understood, reports TMZ.

The filing reads: “Christine claims she cannot admit or deny that she understood the premarital agreement because she (and apparently all of her lawyers) do not understand the word ‘understand’.”

Costner’s attorney Laura Wasser wrote in her final filing, “Christine’s counsel asked for a definition of ‘understood’ and Kevin’s counsel provided the dictionary meaning of the word ‘understood’, which is ‘understood or understood the intended meaning of words.’

Wasser is now asking the judge to let Christine’s lawyers answer the question of whether or not she understood the prenuptial agreement.

The question that sparked the latest legal battle began with Wasser’s question, “You understood the legal ramifications of the premarital agreement before you signed the premarital agreement.

Christine’s attorney replied: Objection. This request is vague as to the scope and meaning of the terms “understood”… (Christine) cannot approve or deny the request.

A hearing on the validity of the document will not take place until November, and Baumgartner is expected to continue to challenge it.

A tentative move to get Costner’s ex out of their $145 million home indicates the judge may agree that the rest of the document is valid as well.

TMZ reports that Baumgartner will also be forced to pay back $1.5 million paid to her by Costner if the judge rules that the prenuptial agreement is valid, and that she will also reportedly be forced to pay his attorney fees for the defend the document.

Baumgartner recently moved to her new rent of $35,000 a month in Santa Barbara, California after splitting from the Yellowstone star.

Meanwhile, her ex Kevin was spotted attending a Taylor Swift concert at Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles this week.

Bizarre: Now the legal battle has taken a bizarre turn as in the actor’s latest filing, Christine and her legal team asked for a definition of the word “understand” in regards to whether they had complied with the terms of their pre- nup of 2004 understood (photo February 2022)

Her new home looks comfortable. DailyMail.com obtained images of the home earlier this week.

The home has four bedrooms and four bathrooms and features amenities such as a swimming pool, fire pit and BBQ area.

The luxurious home is surrounded by green bushes in the upscale California community.

Following her July 28 move from the main house, an insider revealed to People that the mother of three was staying “in a smaller house” on the property used for staff staff.

The insider said Baumgartner had “stayed in the area so as not to disturb her, her and Costner’s three children — Cayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 13 — who will be “back at school with their friends in the fall.” in the next months.

Baumgartner, a handbag designer, has been “trying to keep everything as normal as possible” amid the tumultuous time for the family, the source told the outlet.

Baumgartner, who filed for divorce from the Yellowstone star in May, complained that he was struggling to find a suitable rental nearby.

Since proceedings began, the divorce has been far from amicable, from Costner claiming his ex refused to move out of the mansion despite giving her $1.45 million for a new home; to Christine who claimed the actor was trying to make her and their children “homeless.”

Parents of four: The former couple share three children: sons Cayden, 16; and Hayes, 14; along with their youngest daughter Grace, 13

Baumgartner had insisted in court documents that she had no plans to “strip” their Santa Barbara mansion before they left the property.

Costner — who was spotted with the couple’s three children in Aspen, Colorado on July 28 — and Baumgartner have been locked in a highly contentious split for the past few months.

The drama goes back weeks when Costner asked her to leave the house, after which the focus turned to what she planned to take with her when she left.

Last month, sources told the DailyMail.com that Baumgartner fears the artist is “out for revenge” on her after she filed for divorce, and that police will have her escorted from their Santa Barbara home.

“He wants to humiliate her,” said a close friend of Christine’s. “This isn’t about the house, it’s about making Christine’s life hell because she actually got through the divorce.

“Christine said she wouldn’t be surprised if Kevin had the police take her off the property,” says the friend. “It was Christine who wanted this transition to be as peaceful as possible in the best interest of the children.

Kevin has done the opposite. He doesn’t think about the kids, about how traumatizing this is.’

Baumgartner shared in new legal filings that she will show photos in a PDF to Kevin’s lawyers of what she plans to remove from the mansion, according to a report from ET.

And that means there shouldn’t be an “emergency hearing” about what assets are being taken. Christine said a hearing was “not wanted.”

Also in the filing, it was revealed that Baumgartner rented an “off-site” storage unit to house some silverware, some pots and pans, a Peloton bicycle, family heirlooms, clothing and friends’ personal items. There was also a ‘mother/daughter horse photo’ that she wanted to keep.

And it added that Costner “would not be harmed” by Baumgartner in the process of removing her items.

Last month, a judge ruled that she had to talk to Kevin before taking property from the estate. She is prohibited from taking art, furniture, furniture or appliances with her without his express permission.

She was also told not to remove any property except her clothes, toiletries, handbags and jewelry from the mansion.

The Let Him Go actor was about to help his estranged wife move out per their prenuptial agreement, but it was a relatively paltry sum for their lifestyle.

Baumgartner recently moved into her new $35,000-a-month rental in Santa Barbara, California after splitting from the Yellowstone star (pictured 2015)

Costner reportedly paid her $1.5 million to find a new home, but with California’s high housing prices — especially if she tried to stay near Costner — she may have struggled to find something that resembles the luxury to which she and her children are accustomed.

Costner deposited $1.5 million in Baumgartner’s bank account to get her out of his mansion, saying he gave her $200,000 earlier in their marriage in accordance with their prenuptial agreement.

However, Baumgartner has not touched the money, saying it would rob her of her ability to challenge the validity of the marriage contract.

She noted that their divorce date was April 11, citing the reason for the split as “irreconcilable differences.”

The divorce filing had left Kevin “blindsided” and the star actually had plans to file for divorce first, sources told The Sun last month in June. He had assumed the two would part amicably and follow the steps in their prenuptial agreement.

The couple’s 2004 prenuptial agreement requires her to vacate the property if they separate, while gaining access to a $1.2 million fund to find a new home.

Baumgartner filed for divorce from The Bodyguard actor on May 1.

Their relationship began in 1998 and they had exchanged vows in 2004 at his ranch in Colorado.

After announcing the split, Costner’s representative Arnold Robinson said in a statement, “It is with great sadness that circumstances beyond his control have arisen which have resulted in Mr. Costner having to participate in the dissolution of the marriage.”

The veteran actor is also father to daughters Annie, 39, and Lily, 36, and son Joe, 35, with ex-wife Cindy Silva; and son Liam, 27, with ex-girlfriend Bridget Rooney.