Unexpected divorce terms are reached between Kevin Costner and his wife Christine. Money and the media’s focus on public disagreements, according to experts, are major factors.
Kevin Costner and his distant wife, Christine, unexpectedly struck a divorce agreement following a highly publicised courts battle, leading many to theorise about the circumstances that led to this situation.
David Glass, a California-based family law attorney and former psychologist, was contacted by PEOPLE magazine and provided his thoughts on the possible causes of this abrupt agreement. Money and the unfavourable media attention surrounding their public disputes seem to have been major factors.
David said, “When people appear in court, if one party performs poorly—as Mrs. Costner did—they receive only a third of the requested child support. She did not receive her fee award. The prenuptial agreement will be maintained, it was told to her. She then asks herself, “Do I really want to litigate the remaining issues?”
Regarding Kevin, David asserts that it was only a matter of money: “Just a money thing. How much will it cost him to participate in the trial all the way through? How much would it cost him to get it over with in terms of time, strain, and distraction from his job and his children?
Late in August, during a two-day court hearing in Santa Barbara where child support arrangements were decided, media pressure increased. Kevin was required to disclose the money he made working on films like “Yellowstone,” and Christine made news when her lawyer claimed that their kids were growing up in luxury.
When asked how all of this could have been prevented, David said, “Most high-profile or famous clients go to their lawyers, and their lawyers explain, ‘Listen, we should settle this because you don’t want any of this in the news. To avoid being covered by the media, you can either settle it or go before a private judge.
On September 1, a judge fixed the amount of child support Kevin would pay Christine each month at $63,209, which was in line with his first proposal. Christine’s attorneys had previously asked for $175,057, which was more than the pro forma $129,755 the actor had been ordered to pay. Grace, one of the former couple’s daughters, and Cayden and Hayes, one of their two sons, round out their family.
A second court appearance for the Costners to discuss the legality of their prenuptial agreement was set for December. According to David, “Once you get through that first hearing where you come out of court and you feel like a wrung-out rag and it’s cost you a tonne of money, most people start reconsidering, ‘Do I really want to go all the way to trial?'”
Christine would receive more money than what was specified in the couple’s prenuptial agreement, according to the initial story from TMZ on the deal. The former model was entitled to almost $1.5 million, according to earlier court filings mentioning the prenup.
Four and a half months after she filed for divorce, PEOPLE magazine announced on Tuesday that the 68-year-old Oscar winner and his 49-year-old wife had struck a settlement, with their separation date listed as April 11. Kevin is relieved that this case has been resolved and will continue to concentrate only on jointly parenting their three children, a source close to him told PEOPLE.
