A stunt performer has accused Kevin Costner of sexual harassment and breach of contract, filing a civil action in Los Angeles Superior Court on 27 May against the actor-director and the companies behind Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2. Plaintiff Devyn LaBella, stunt double for lead actress Ella Hunt, alleges she was ordered to act in a “violent, unscripted” rape scene during filming in Utah on 2 May 2023 after Hunt reportedly walked off set. The complaint says Costner directed a male actor to pin LaBella down in a wagon while cameras rolled on an open set, actions she claims were neither rehearsed nor disclosed in advance.
LaBella argues the episode violated SAG-AFTRA rules that require at least 48 hours’ notice, performer consent and the presence of an intimacy coordinator for scenes involving nudity or simulated sex; those safeguards had been in place for a separate scripted assault filmed the previous day. In a statement, she said the experience left her “exposed, unprotected and deeply betrayed,” adding that she began therapy the following month. Her suit seeks unspecified damages for emotional distress, hostile-workplace conditions and alleged retaliation that she says cost her subsequent jobs.
Costner, through attorney Marty Singer, “vehemently” denied the claims, calling LaBella a “serial accuser” and asserting she had indicated approval of the scene with a “thumbs-up” gesture and grateful text after filming wrapped. Singer maintains the production “takes safety on set very seriously” and said the defence will provide evidence contradicting the allegations.
The dispute casts another shadow over Costner’s self-financed frontier epic: the Oscar-winner invested about $38 million of personal funds to launch the projected four-film cycle after studios balked at its scope. Horizon’s first installment, released last June, earned roughly $38.7 million worldwide against a reported $50 million budget, well below expectations. Chapter 2 premiered out of competition at Venice in September 2024 but has yet to secure a general domestic release date. Industry observers say the lawsuit could complicate those distribution plans while intensifying scrutiny of on-set consent protocols across Hollywood productions.
