Kevin Costner and Ex Christine Settle Divorce amid Contentious Legal Battle, 4 Months After Her Filing
In a surprising turn of events, the actor and his wife of 18 years have settled their divorce, following months of legal back and forth
Kevin Costner and estranged wife Christine have settled their divorce.
“Kevin and Christine Costner have come to an amicable and mutually agreed upon resolution of all issues pertaining to their divorce proceedings,” a rep for Kevin says in a joint statement for the duo.
TMZ was the first to report the news of the settlement.
The turn of events is a surprising one, considering the pair’s contentious legal battle over the past several months following Christine’s May 1 divorce filing after 18 years of marriage.
In her filing, Christine listed her date of separation from the Yellowstone actor as April 11. The two share three children: sons Cayden, 16, and Hayes, 14, plus daughter Grace, 13.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.
A rep for the actor said in a statement at the time of Christine’s divorce filing, “It is with great sadness that circumstances beyond his control have transpired which have resulted in Mr. Costner having to participate in a dissolution of marriage action.”
“We ask that his, Christine’s, and their children’s privacy be respected as they navigate this difficult time,” the rep added.
Over the past four-plus months, Kevin and Christine have appeared in court to hash out details and payments over everything from the timeline of Christine moving out of their family compound in Santa Barbara, California, to child-support payments from the Field of Dreams actor.
During a two-day Santa Barbara court case determining child support in late August, a judge set the monthly payments Kevin would pay to Christine at $63,209, matching his proposed amount after she and her lawyers had requested $175,057, up from the $129,755 the actor had been tentatively ordered to pay.
After Christine’s attorney John Rydell said the oceanside lifestyle their three children have enjoyed at their Santa Barbara compound is “in their DNA at this point,” Kevin took the stand, where he said, “My biggest concern is that the court orders me to pay child support that is above the needs of my children and for the needs of Christine.”
Christine also testified that she was considering going back to school for a college degree. “I will look into the steps I need to take and any schooling I need to do, and I will enter the workforce,” she said on the stand about how she’ll support herself in the future.
When Kevin took the stand, he admitted “my world’s been a little shook up” as a result of the split. Addressing how he plans to move forward, he said, “I have to take care of obligations that are already in place; I have a lot of responsibilities I have to take care of.”
“I need to figure out how I’m going to spend more time with the children, walk them through this process,” the Oscar winner added. “I am going to need to take some time for myself. … I have a lot to contemplate — what I have to do versus what I want to do.”
Ahead of the news of their settlement, the former couple was set to appear in court again this December to hash out the validity of their premarital agreement.
His marriage to Christine was the second for Kevin after his 16-year marriage to Cindy Silva, which ended in divorce in 1994.