Kevin Costner's Estranged Wife Begins Move to $40k-a-Month Santa Barbara Rental

In a recent development, Christine Baumgartner, the estranged wife of actor Kevin Costner, has initiated her relocation to a lavish $40,000-per-month rental property in Santa Barbara. This move comes as part of their ongoing divorce proceedings, where Christine has been seeking substantial financial support.

The separation proceedings, which began earlier this year in May with an official date of separation cited as April 11, have seen Christine ordered to vacate their $145 million California compound. Disagreements over their respective living situations have added to the complexity of their divorce.

Christine's new rental residence, sitting on one acre of land, offers an array of amenities, including a jacuzzi and proximity to a wooded hiking trail. Movers were recently spotted outside the property, unloading her belongings.

During a court hearing, Christine argued that Kevin's beachfront mansion far exceeded the quality of her $40,000-a-month rental. Although her new residence has four bedrooms, picturesque gardens, custom interiors, a swimming pool, and a pool house, Christine pointed out that guests still had to use the main house for showers. She expressed concern that her two sons would have to share a bathroom, and her daughter would have to share one with the entire house.

The couple, who were married for nearly 19 years, has three children together: Cayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 13. Christine emphasized her desire for her children to maintain a comparable lifestyle to what they had before the separation.

Child support has been a contentious issue in their divorce proceedings. Christine initially received a monthly child support award of $129,000 and had requested an increase. However, a judge later reduced the monthly amount to $63,000.

In addition to her child support concerns, Christine is now seeking $885,000 to cover her legal fees, bringing a new dimension to their divorce battle. She has already received more than $400,000 to cover some of her legal expenses.

Despite these developments, the legal wrangling continues, with both parties locked in a dispute over the enforcement of their prenuptial agreement and the allocation of legal fees. A full hearing on the matter is scheduled for September 20.