When Christine Baumgartner filed for divorce from Kevin Costner back in early May, I genuinely thought it seemed like Christine had all her ducks in a row. She surprised Costner when she filed, she already had a divorce lawyer, and she had secretly charged a forensic accountant to one of Kevin’s credit cards. Months later, Costner accused Christine of preparing her exit strategy by getting cash withdrawals from credit cards issued to their staff, and he basically accused her of defying him as he had been financially abusing her for years. Well, I do think Christine had an exit strategy, and much of the strategy was predicated on nullifying the prenup. The thing is, it looks like it’s going to be very difficult for her to nullify that sucker, and her lawyers are being taken to the woodshed by Costner’s lawyer, Laura Wasser.

Kevin Costner’s estranged wife, Christine Baumgartner, is arguing that she may not have understood their prenuptial agreement when he signed it in 2004. According to TMZ, the “Yellowstone” star’s lawyers have filed a new court document where they asked if the handbag designer comprehend what she actually signed.

“Christine asserts she cannot admit or deny that she understood the Premarital Agreement because she (and apparently all of her attorneys) do not understand the word ‘understand,’” the court docs read, per the outlet. Costner’s lawyer, Laura Wasser, wrote in the filing, “Christine’s counsel asked for a definition of ‘understood’ and Kevin’s counsel provided the dictionary meaning of the word ‘understood,’ to wit, ‘comprehended or perceive the intended meaning of words.’”

The attorney wants the judge to make Baumgartner’s legal team answer whether or not their client understood the written contract. Per TMZ, the latest filing came after Baumgartner’s lawyer objected to Wasser stating that her client’s estranged wife “understood the legal effect of the premarital agreement before you signed the premarital agreement.”

The mom of three’s attorney said the “request is vague as to the scope and meaning of the terms ‘understood,’” adding that Baumgartner was “unable to admit or deny the request.”

However, if the former model challenges the prenup, TMZ reports that she will have to return the $1.5 million Costner gave her and pay his attorney’s fees.

[From Page Six]

I know this is just stand-issue legal wrangling in messy divorces, but yeesh – is this really Christine’s strategy? To say that the prenup should be invalidated because she didn’t “understand” it? While I’m not a fancy divorce lawyer, shouldn’t the argument be “circumstances change and nineteen years and three kids later, the terms should be revisited?” I guess not, especially with the family court judge who seems to be heavily favoring Costner in all of his rulings.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

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