Kevin Costner’s estranged wife, Christine Baumgartner, insists her childrens’ expensive lifestyle is their birthright, and that she needs an increase in child support to maintain their current standards.
Baumgartner’s lawyer, John Rydell, told the court the luxury accommodations of Baumgartner’s children “is in their DNA at this point,” during Thursday’s hearing. He argued more child support funding is needed to maintain their daily expectations, according to Page Six. Baumgartner, a former handbag designer, refuses to settle on the $129,000 a month in child support that the court has already granted her amid her divorce proceedings with Costner.
Kevin Costner has come out swinging in his divorce from Christine Baumgartner! https://t.co/84aT15WtRJ
— TMZ (@TMZ) August 31, 2023
Rydell proceeded to list all the sports the children play and updated the court on the number of houses the family owns, apparently to paint a picture of what their current day-to-day experience is like.
Baumgartner said her refusal to accept the first child support settlement was about “so much more” than simply material things, Page Six reported.
“It’s an experience,” she told the court, according to People. Baumgartner referred to the children’s home life as a “community,” going on to say “we create whatever we can dream up in here,” reportedly referring to the “surf lodge” at the family’s residence in Santa Barbara.
Baumgartner’s initial request was for $175,057 per month in child support, which would bump her up by $46,000 more per month than 68-year-old Costner is already paying, according to the outlet. (RELATED: REPORT: Kevin Costner Looking To Date Again)
Rydell said the request has since been reduced to $161,592 per month, in the wake of results from a forensic accountant’s assessment, Page Six reported.
During the early stages of their divorce, Costner had initially offered $60,000 a month, according to the outlet.
Baumgartner previously commented on the value of the child support, arguing her children deserved to “live a lifestyle relatively comparable to the one they enjoy when they are with their father,” when they were sharing time with her, according to Us Weekly.