Kevin Costner's first wife got an $80 million payout after they split in 1994, making it one of the most expensive Hollywood divorces in history. Here's why his second wife won't get anywhere near that. (2024)

Costner and his first wife, Cindy Silva, met when they were both students at California State University in the mid-70s and married shortly after they graduated in 1978 before splitting in 1994.

During the course of their 16-year marriage, Costner became one of Hollywood's highest-paid actors, starring in box office successes like "Field of Dreams," "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves," and "The Bodyguard." In 1991, his directorial debut, "Dances in Wolves," took home the Oscars for best picture and best director, as well as five other Oscars. In short, Costner was riding high and raking in millions of dollars by the time he and Silva divorced.

According toForbes, in their settlement, Silva — with whom Costner shares three children between the ages of 35 and 39 — was awarded $80 million, a substantial chunk of the actor'snet worth at the time. It was one of themost expensive celebrity divorces, likely because the actor had not signed a prenup — a document that would've protected his assets and finances.

There's no doubt that Costner has financially recovered from the blow in the almost three decades that have passed since that divorce. His role in Paramount Network's "Yellowstone" has made him one of the most well-paid actors on television (according to Variety,he's earning $1.3 million per episode)and he's used his own money to back many of his film projects, including the upcoming four-part film series, "Horizon."

Costner learned a tough lesson thanks to his expensive 1994 divorce

Nevertheless, for Costner, his 1994 split taught him a hard financial lesson that he didn't want to repeat when he married Baumgartner. The two — who have a 19-year age difference — met on a golf coursein the early 1990s, began dating in 1998, and married in 2004.

"I was married before, and upon separation, I found myself without a home base and unable to live in my own home," Costner said in court papers filed June 8 that Insider has viewed. "I never wanted this to happen again. Because of the nature of my work, I am frequently out of town; it is therefore particularly important to me that when I am home, I have a home to go to."

"Thus, when Christine and I began discussing marriage in 2003, I made it clear to her that I would not marry again without clarity that my separate property residences would remain mine to live in no matter what happened in our marriage," the court filing continued.

Earlier this week, Insiderreported that Costner had complained to the judge in their divorce case that Baumgartner refused to move out of his $145 million compound off the Santa Barbara coast in California, even though their prenuptial agreement stipulated that she had to move out within 30 days if they divorced. In her divorce filing, Baumgartner listed their date of separation as April 11.

"Christine has taken the position that she will not move out of Kevin's separate property residence unless and until Kevin agrees to various financial demands," Costner's court papers said.

Through his lawyer, the famed divorce attorney Laura Wasser, the 68-year-old actor alleges that he's already ponied up $1 million to Baumgartner toward a new place, and pledged to pay her mortgage, insurance, and taxes on the new house for a year.

Per court papers, he gave her an additional $200,000 in the early years of their marriage under the terms of their prenup.

Costner also wants joint custody of their teenage children

As for their teenage children — Cayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 13 — he said in court docs that he's pushing for joint custody and that they would not be largely affected by their mother's ouster.

"Because the children will be spending at least half of their time at my home, they will not be disrupted by Christine's imminent move," Costner said in the June 8 declaration. "Christine and I have been working on a summer schedule to ensure that the children have a smooth transition between our two homes."

A judge hasn't yet ruled on Costner's request to force Baumgartner out. Insider has contacted the lawyers for Baumgartner and Costner but hasn't received a response.

Costner's divorce comes amid some drama in his professional life too.

Deadlinereported in February that abehind-the-scenes feudbetween the actor and the "Yellowstone" cocreatorTaylor Sheridanover shooting schedules was holding up production on the show's fifth season.

WhileCostner has yet to address the claims, it was announced in May that the drama would be ending later this year with the conclusion of its fifth and final season.