Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner's settlement may not mark the end in divorce battle: expert
Celebrity lawyer Christopher C. Melcher explained that "deals fall apart" in divorces, and he wouldn't be surprised if Christine asked to "improve" settlement.
Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner settled their divorce this week, more than four months after she filed paperwork to end their 18-year marriage.
However, according to one legal expert, that does not mean the couple is necessarily out of the woods when it comes to seeing a courtroom again.
Fox News Digital is breaking down some recent Hollywood splits and their latest developments with celebrity divorce lawyer, Christopher C. Melcher, partner at Walzer Melcher & Yoda.
Celebrity divorce attorney weighs in on Kevin Costner, left, Ariana Grande and Danny Mastersons divorces. (Getty Images)
Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner
After a four-month court battle, Costner and Baumgartner agreed to terms of a divorce settlement, though the terms of the settlement were not immediately disclosed. The settlement came as the estranged couple was heading back to court to establish who would be responsible for paying nearly $1 million in her attorneys’ fee
"Unfortunately, we do see a lot of deals fall apart in divorce because people feel pressured to enter into them, and they often get buyer's remorse," Melcher said. "So I would not be surprised if we see Christine maybe coming back and saying, 'I really don't like that deal, and I'd like to improve it.'"
KEVIN COSTNER REACHES DIVORCE SETTLEMENT WITH EX CHRISTINE BAUMGARTNER
He added, "I hope for the sake of the family that he or she doesn't do that, but it could happen."
Christine Baumgartner filed for divorce from Kevin Costner in May after 18 years of marriage. (Getty Images)
The "Yellowstone" actor landed a major legal victory the first week of September when a judge ruled in favor of Costner and decreased monthly child support payments for his three children to $63,209. Judge Thomas Anderle had previously set a temporary child support order for $129,755.
"Christine kept asking for more and more money, and her demands for child support were just eye watering and unreasonable, and that really hurt her credibility in court," Melcher said. "As she lost issue after issue, the writing was on the wall, and it became clear that the court was going to enforce the pre-marital agreement. That's why she had to make a deal."
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
He added that settling a divorce is "always a good idea, and especially for celebrities because it's just toxic to their brand. What's unfortunate is they had to go through months of really embarrassing and acrimonious litigation to get here, and they could have settled at the beginning. Glad they've done it now though."
Danny Masterson and Bijou Phillips
Danny Masterson's wife, Bijou Phillips, filed for divorce just two weeks after the "That '70s Show" actor was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison after being convicted of rape.
Bijou Phillips remained by Danny Masterson's side as they headed into court during his rape retrial. (Myung J. Chun)
Phillips, 43, cited "irreconcilable differences" and requested spousal support in court documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
In addition, the former model listed "TBD" as their date of separation on the divorce petition.
"Many times, it's not clear when the spouses truly live separate and apart, but in Bijou's paperwork, she indicated that she's been living exclusively with their daughter since 2018," Melcher explained. "So, that's five years that she's been living with the daughter and Danny living elsewhere."
"That doesn't make a whole lot of sense based on what Bijou told the court about them being a happy family and wanting to stay together. So there's definitely an inconsistency there in the paperwork."
Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez
Ariana Grande filed for divorce from husband Dalton Gomez after almost two years of marriage. Shortly after her petition was filed, Gomez submitted his own paperwork for a dissolution of marriage and legal separation, Fox News Digital confirmed.
ARIANA GRANDE FILES FOR DIVORCE FROM HUSBAND DALTON GOMEZ AFTER 2 YEARS OF MARRIAGE
In documents obtained by Fox News Digital, Grande specified a prenuptial agreement was in place at the time of their marriage. She also may be hoping for a judge to make a quick assessment with a stipulated judgment.
"When Ariana filed for divorce, she indicated that she expects this to result in what's called a stipulated judgment, which is an agreed disposition of the case," Melcher said. "That's my assessment, too."
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
APP USERS CLICK HERE TO VIEW POST
He added, "This is a short marriage. They have a premarital agreement. So my sense is we're not going to see these folks in court. They're just going to sign an agreement for the court to enter a judgment of dissolution and move on with their lives."
Grande and Gomez married during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2021 at their home in Montecito, California. They began dating in January 2020 and were engaged by the end of the year.
Shortly after news broke of the couple's separation, rumors began that Grande was in a relationship with her "Wicked" co-star Ethan Slater, who is also known for starring in "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical."
Slater's wife, Lilly Jay, filed for divorce in July.
Trending
Fox News Entertainment
Get a daily look at the top news in music, movies, television and more in the entertainment industry.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.