Kevin Costner’s estranged wife, Christine Baumgartner, inadvertently addressed the rumor that she forced her husband to leave his hit show, “Yellowstone,” according to court documents reviewed and shared Thursday by Daily Mail.
Baumgartner claimed she has “avoided being public about the reasons for our divorce,” doing so to protect her family’s privacy, the docs read. “I did not pressure Kevin to leave the ‘Yellowstone’ show.”
“Kevin’s public attacks on me are harmful for our family. I believe they are meant to pressure me to move out without a temporary child support agreement in place,” the former model argued, according to the docs. But she also said she is the reason Costner is now pursuing his passion for writing, according to Daily Mail — one of the main reasons people think he’s leaving “Yellowstone” in the lurch after five epic seasons
REPORT: Kevin Costner’s Estranged Wife Wants Almost $250,000 Per Month In Child Support | @DailyCaller https://t.co/sfsgrGbRuQ
— KAY SMYTHE (@KaySmythe) June 22, 2023
“During our marriage, I encouraged Kevin to wear many hats and live his dreams, even if that meant spending time away from our family. I encouraged him to reconnect with his former bandmates from college and to start a new band. He became a singer/songwriter and toured for weeks at a time in many countries. He became an investor in several companies, some of which were through my connections,” Baumgartner said, according to the docs.
Reports suggest Costner’s choice to bail on “Yellowstone” had nothing to do with his divorce. Other rumors have suggested the real reason he wants to bail is because he doesn’t like his character, John Dutton. As a result, he’s focused on creating his own western series called “Horizon.” (RELATED: ‘Yellowstone’ Creator Taylor Sheridan Gives Rare Comment On Kevin Costner Chaos)
“Despite all of Kevin’s commitments, I made sure to always keep him and the children connected as much as possible. I never questioned the time or commitment it took for him to do what he loved,” Baumgartner continued, the docs show.
Due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike, and the risk it becomes a full-blown industry strike with the Screen Actors Guild joining suit, there is no telling when we’ll ever see a conclusion to the “Yellowstone” saga. And right now, that sucks.