COSTNER HOPING TO CALL OFF DIVORCE

Issues private plea while playing legal hardball with wife

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HUMILIATED Kevin Costner is now begging his estranged wife, Christine Baumgartner, to take him back and end her ugly divorce, fearing she’ll publicly expose his most embarrassing private secrets, insiders say.

The 49-year-old beauty clobbered the Yellowstone TV cowboy, 68, with divorce papers on May 2 seeking to end their 18-year marriage while demanding their prenup be dumped and he shell out $248,000 a month to support their sons Cayden, 16, and Hayes, 14, and daughter Grace, 13.

Costner has accused her of using their three teens as pawns to fund a plastic surgery addiction, according to sources who say he’d still jump at the chance to end the monetary madness and have her drop the divorce petition.

“At this point, Kevin sees it would be cheaper to keep her,” the source says. “His pleas are falling on deaf ears. She’s going to fight to the end to claim what she believes she deserves.”

Spies dish Kevin knew Christine had been unhappy in their marriage for some time, especially for the months he’s been away from home filming Yellowstone the past five years.

But this divorce is not something he wanted.