Kevin Costner Is Reportedly Doing a 180 on His Legal Strategy During Messy Divorce From Christine Baumgartner
Ever since Christine Baumgartner filed for divorce from Kevin Costner in early May, things have only gotten messier and messier between the two. From Baumgartner’s request to dismiss their prenup to Costner’s recent allegation that his estranged wife for using “stalling tactics” in their divorce proceedings, the two have not been afraid to go at it in court.
Months into the process, however, sources say the Yellowstone star is getting ready to back off. “Kevin and his lawyers have made a concerted effort to lower the temperature and stop the tide of bad publicity,” a source told Us Weekly. “He doesn’t want this to be a drawn-out [divorce.]” A little too late, maybe?
Most of all, it seems like Costner is getting tired of the constant back-and-forth. “Kevin doesn’t want to waste more time fighting with Christine,” the source said.
Costner’s alleged willingness to calm down and settle, however, is no indication that he’s okay with the split. Sources instead indicate the actor was beyond hurt about Baumgartner’s filing. “Kevin feels betrayed by Christine, but he wants to take the high ground,” the source said.
“Kevin doesn’t hate Christine, but he does want a clean break,” the source added, noting that the Bodyguard star is “trying not to make it personal.” Instead, Costner hopes to finalize their divorce and go back to focusing on his work and taking care of his kids (Costner and Baumgartner share kids Cayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 13, while Costner also shares older kids Lily, Annie, and Joe with first wife Cindy Silva and son Liam with ex Bridget Rooney.) “Kevin has a lot of confidence in his attorneys, and he’s staying busy with his career and continues to have a very special relationship with his kids,” the source said. “He firmly believes that brighter times are ahead.”
“He’s throwing himself into his work and surrounding himself with people he can trust,” they added. “Divorce sucks, but he’s toughing it out.”
Also from the sources, they confirmed the biggest reason for their split: distance. As indicated by sources in the past, Costner being away for months at a time filming Yellowstone proved to be too much for his estranged wife. “Their marriage seemed solid and like they were in it for the long term, but the time apart clearly took a toll,” a second source stated. “Christine just couldn’t cope.”
Although it looks like their relationship is really beyond repair, we’re hoping Costner stays true to these claims and finds a way to finalize their disputes. After all, we’d hate for their split to get even messier with their teenage kids all watching.
Before you go, click here to see the longest celebrity divorces that took years to get finalized.