Kevin Costner Speaks Out After Divorce Court Hearing Over Child Support: ‘There Is No Winner’

Kevin Costner has spoken about his divorce publicly for the first time, saying, "There is no winner" after scoring a legal victory on Friday (Sept. 1) in a court hearing over child support payments.

Costner and his estranged wife, Christine Baumgartner, both appeared in court during a hearing to set a permanent amount that he will pay each month in child support for their three children. According to Fox News, Judge Thomas Anderle ordered the Oscar-winning actor to pay $63,209, which is slightly less than half of the $129,755 that Costner has been paying since a temporary ruling in July of 2023, and just over one-quarter of the $248,000 per month Baumgartner initially asked for after she filed for divorce in May, citing irreconcilable differences.

Baumgartner claimed that she needed that sum of money to maintain a similar lifestyle for her children while they're in her care that they enjoy with their father. Costner claimed that she had padded her estimated expenses with items unrelated to the children's care, including cosmetic surgery, credit card bills and even payments to her lawyers.

Baumgartner also took the stand during the hearing, and Fox News reports that she broke down in tears several times during her testimony. Costner recalled their 18 years together warmly during his time on the stand, talking about how she had made their home "beautiful" and "lovely," and recalling the "epic dates" they used to go on. He said his life has "been shook up" by the divorce.

Speaking to Fox News Digital after the ruling, Costner was anything but celebratory.

"You know, when you have a life that long with somebody, there is no winner...and it's this big, crazy thing called life and how it unravels so quickly," he said. "One minute you feel like you're on top of the world, and then you realize how, you know, how vulnerable you are."

He also spoke to Access Hollywood as he was leaving the hearing, saying, "This is a horrible place to be, but this is where we're at."

Costner offered no comment when a reporter asked what he hoped would be the outcome other than to say, “It feels so bad and we’re talking about somebody I love on the other side, I just can’t." Asked if he still had love for Baumgartner, he quietly replied, "Of course."

Despite the difficult situation, Costner tells Fox News Digital that he's confident he and Baumgartner can effectively co-parent their kids. Both parties are asking for joint custody.

"She's an incredible mom," he says. "We will figure it out and we'll share. We just got to kind of convalesce right now."

Coster and Baumgartner still have issues to work out before they finalize their divorce. She is challenging a prenuptial agreement they signed before they wed in 2004, and that case is set to go to trial in November.