Kevin Costner and Christine Costner put down their metaphorical weapons. After more than a (very contentious) four months, Yahoo Entertainment has confirmed that the estranged couple have settled their divorce.
“Kevin and Christine Costner have reached an amicable and mutually agreed resolution of all issues related to their divorce proceedings,” a representative for both Kevin and Christine said.
Details of the agreement were not disclosed. While this may seem like a surprising turn of events, Yahoo legal experts have previously suggested that it would be in Christine’s best interest to get a new strategy after a series of court losses and her recent admission that she is facing mounting legal fees.
Christine, 49, filed for divorce from Yellowstone star on May 1st. She stated the date of separation as April 11. In a statement at the time, Kevin made it clear that it was not his decision to end the 18-year marriage.
“It is with great sadness that circumstances beyond his control occurred that resulted in Mr. Costner having to participate in the dissolution of the marriage,” a representative for the Oscar-winning actor, 68, told Yahoo. “We ask that his privacy, Christine’s and their children’s privacy be respected as they go through this difficult time.”
However, there was not much privacy left. Almost immediately, mudslinging began on the court documents that were made public. Christine, a former handbag designer, accused Kevin of trying to evict her and their three children: sons Cayden, 16, and Hayes, 14, and daughter Grace, 13. She claimed he told them about the divorce over FaceTime. He accused her of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on plastic surgery.
Celebrity divorce attorney Chris Melcher, who is following the case, said the settlement was somewhat surprising at this point.
“It’s a shame that after months of heated and embarrassing litigation, the parties couldn’t settle sooner. Like many of these cases, this could have been avoided if both sides had been realistic,” he told Yahoo on Tuesday. “Christine took an aggressive stance from the start, refusing to vacate the family home in the event of a separation, as agreed in the prenuptial agreement, and demanding exorbitant amounts of child support.”
Christine was asking for $161,592 a month in child support. After a two-day hearing in September, she was dealt a major blow in court when the judge sided with Kevin that $63,209 a month was reasonable.
“The parties had been married for 20 years, had children together and lived a lavish lifestyle, so there was no question that child support would be high. But Christine kept asking for more and the demands were breathtaking,” Melcher explained. “It created the appearance that she was seeking more child support for herself than the children actually needed. Kevin offered her more than the $63,000 a month the court ordered after an evidentiary hearing. Christine clearly miscalculated when she rejected the offer.” and asked for more than double that amount.”
In July, Christine suffered her first defeat in court when a judge ordered her to leave the family compound near Santa Barbara, California. When Christine signed a prenuptial agreement before her wedding in 2004, she agreed to vacate the property within 30 days if she ever filed for divorce. In his ruling, the judge cited the prenuptial agreement as signaling that he considered the document valid.
Christine planned to challenge the prenuptial bond, but it was unclear whether she intended to challenge the entire case or just the spousal support limitation. According to the signed document, he is entitled to a settlement of $1.4 million. Her attorney fees nearly exceeded that figure. If she were to challenge the prenup and lose, she would have to pay her and Kevin’s legal fees.
Melcher believes Christine “had a legitimate issue” about the one-time spousal support she agreed to nearly 20 years ago.
“That’s obviously more than most will ever get in alimony, but it’s a fraction of what she would have been awarded over her lifetime if the agreement had (not) been signed. California law allows a party to challenge a prenuptial waiver or reduction in spousal support, if that provision is unreasonable at the time of trial,” Melcher said. The trial was set for November, but the parties agreed on a different amount. This saves the parties and their children from further litigation.”
Two weeks ago, Kevin broke his silence on the divorce. He said after the trial Entering Hollywood he “still loves” Christine and that “everyone” hopes things will be resolved quickly.
“It’s a terrible place, but here we are,” he said. “It’s so bad, we’re talking about someone I love on the other side.
