Kevin Costner allegedly kept his estranged wife Christine Baumgartner in the dark about whether or not he would return to Yellowstone for a sixth season.
Baumgartner, 49, accused her husband of “refusing” to discuss his options for season six in a letter filed by her lawyers ahead of their upcoming child support hearing, according to We weekly.
Her lawyers alleged that Costner “declined to answer questions about whether he was offered the chance” to star in the upcoming season “or whether he simply chose to quit.”
Costner is currently in the process of setting up a child support arrangement with Baumgartner and his Yellowstone His role was called into question when his estranged wife’s lawyers attempted to calculate his earnings for their future arrangement.
The estranged couple, who were married for 19 years before splitting earlier this year, have sons Cayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and daughter Grace, 13.
‘Refused to answer questions’: Kevin Costner allegedly kept his estranged wife Christine Baumgartner in the dark about his decision to stay in Yellowstone during their marriage; pictured 2014
The letter also claimed that Costner will continue to receive financial compensation from Yellowstone after his departure, as he is “entitled to receive a percentage of the program’s profit sharing” “regardless of his participation in Season 6 or beyond.”
The letter claimed that Costner earned $11 million for Yellowstone’s fourth season, or $1.1 million for each episode. In season five, he received $10 million, which means he earned $1.25 million per episode.
For a while, Baumgartner wasn’t alone in wondering about Costner’s future on the popular Paramount show.
There was speculation for months on whether or not Costner would stay on the show amid an alleged split with Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, and it was all unclear until shortly after. ET Online reported that the current fifth season would be its last.
In July, Costner said he expected his income to drop “dramatically” now that he was no longer on the show.
The actor is reportedly the highest paid actor on TV and reportedly earned $1.3 million per episode of the award-winning show.
His ex claimed that in 2022, when he appeared in eight episodes, he made $24.5 million from Yellowstone and other sources.
But the actor expects his income to drop “dramatically” now that he has left the program to make his four-film western epic Horizon.
“I will earn substantially less in 2023 than in 2022,” he predicted. “This is because I am no longer under contract with Yellowstone, which was the main source of income last year.
Hit series: Costner played farmer John Dutton in Yellowstone for five years
Making that money: The actor is reportedly the highest paid actor on TV, and is rumored to have earned $1.3 million per episode of the award-winning show
“The fixed amount, pay or play and episodic compensation I received has expired.
“Now any compensation I earn from Yellowstone will only come from my contractual participation rights on the back.” (The percentage of a star of the revenue, once the show turns a profit.)
“The most recent report from the producer for Yellowstone shows that I now owe no participation fee (although I have disputed this).
“So far in 2023 I have not received any participation fee from Yellowstone.”
Following furious speculation about the end of the popular Western series — and reports of a sensational feud between himself and the show’s creator, Taylor Sheridan — the actor stated in court documents that he “doesn’t expect to be on location for the rest of 2023.” are. despite the show being scheduled to begin filming in the second half of season five in August.
Acrimonious split: The estranged couple, pictured in 2022, are currently working out the details of their child support deal
Earlier this year, it was confirmed that Yellowstone will end after the second half of its fifth season, with Kevin completing his run as rancher John Dutton on the hit Paramount series to focus on other projects.
While production on the second half of season five was due to begin in a few months at the time, according to Deadline, court documents filed as part of Costner’s divorce proceedings against former husband Christine suggest he would not participate in filming. .
In the court papers seen by DailyMail.com, “I don’t expect to be on location for at least the rest of 2023.”
The documents — which contained explosive claims because Costner and his 18-year-old wife, Christine, were embroiled in an acrimonious divorce — revealed that he was due to return to California that month to be with his children.
At the time, there was already doubt about whether the show would be able to start filming again as a result of the writers’ strike. At the time, the SAG-AFTRA strike had not yet started.
A real life drama? There are reports of a sensational feud between Costner and show creator Taylor Sheridan; in the photo 2018
In June, Sheridan hinted that Costner’s iconic character John Dutton would never be around again until the end of the show.
“My opinion of Kevin as an actor hasn’t changed,” Sheridan said in an interview with The Hollywood reporter. “His creation of John Dutton is symbolic and powerful…and I’ve never had a problem with Kevin that he and I couldn’t work it out on the phone,” Sheridan said.
“But once lawyers get involved, people can’t talk to each other and say things that aren’t true and try to shift blame based on how the press or public seem to react.
“He took a lot of it on his chin and I don’t know if anyone deserves this. His movie seems to be a big priority for him and he wants to shift the focus. I really hope the movie is worth it – and that it’s a good movie.’
The creator added, “I’m disappointed. It curtails the closure of his character. It doesn’t change it, but it shortens it.’