Kevin Costner’s Horizon Saga Faces Storm of Controversy—Now Including a Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
Just when Kevin Costner’s ambitious Horizon: An American Saga franchise couldn’t seem to get any more tangled, a serious new legal storm is brewing—and this time, it’s personal.
On top of the existing courtroom clash with New Line Cinema over co-financing troubles, Costner, the Oscar-winning actor-director behind the sprawling Western epic, is now facing a bombshell sexual harassment lawsuit. The claim comes from veteran stunt performer Devyn LaBella, who accuses Costner of orchestrating a shocking, unscripted “violent rape scene” without proper preparation or consent on the set of Horizon 2.
🎬 What's the Lawsuit All About?
LaBella, a seasoned stuntwoman and SAG-AFTRA member (also with ties to Barbie), filed her complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court, stating that the distressing incident happened on May 2, 2023, during the filming of Horizon: Chapter 2 in Utah.
She says the scene—neither rehearsed nor scheduled—was “violent and unscripted,” and directed by none other than Costner himself, who also happens to be the CEO and secretary of Horizon Series, Inc.
LaBella’s legal team, from firms Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai and Valli Kane & Vagnini, says this lawsuit isn’t just about damages. It’s about shining a spotlight on a broader industry problem—how Hollywood still fails to properly handle sexually explicit or violent scenes, especially in the absence of intimacy coordinators.
🚨 What Went Down on Set?
The complaint paints a disturbing picture.
Initially, LaBella was brought on board to act as the lead stunt double for actress Ella Hunt, best known from Saturday Night Live. But things took a turn when Hunt reportedly walked off set after being asked to perform the unexpected scene. With no intimacy coordinator on set, and the script having suddenly changed, LaBella was reportedly asked to “stand in” to line up the shot.
According to her lawsuit, this quickly escalated. Instead of just positioning for camera angles, LaBella says she found herself acting out a violent rape scene opposite actor Roger Ivens—multiple times. Each take, she claims, became more intense and more humiliating.
And here's the kicker—she was allegedly menstruating during filming, which added a layer of vulnerability. Her costume failed to provide coverage, her undergarments were exposed, and her requests for sewn-up bloomers came only after the traumatic scene was shot. Wardrobe, she said, hadn’t been informed about the scene in advance—because it wasn’t planned.
🧵 Costner’s Team Fires Back
But Costner isn’t taking the accusations lightly.
His longtime attorney, the notoriously fierce Marty Singer, slammed the allegations as a “shakedown.” In a sharp rebuttal to Deadline, Singer argued that the claims are not only baseless but are also completely contradicted by LaBella’s own behavior after the alleged incident.
According to Singer:
-
LaBella performed a rehearsal in character and gave a “thumbs up” to her stunt coordinator.
-
She had dinner with the stunt team that evening, was reportedly in good spirits, and didn’t voice any concerns.
-
She continued working on the film for weeks afterward.
-
After wrapping, she even sent a thank-you text to the stunt coordinator—complete with heart emojis—expressing gratitude for the opportunity.
Singer concluded, “The facts are clear and we are beyond confident that Kevin will prevail.”
💣 Blacklisted?
LaBella’s suit claims the fallout didn’t stop after filming.
She alleges that once she reported what happened—telling not only the intimacy coordinator but also her stunt supervisors—she found herself effectively blacklisted. No more calls. No future work on Horizon. Just silence.
This, she says, has tanked a career she spent years building, and left her with emotional trauma that may take just as long to heal.
📉 Horizon Saga’s Rocky Road
It’s been a bumpy trail for Horizon: An American Saga from the get-go.
Chapter 1 of the saga, which had its glitzy world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September 2024, landed with a thud. Critics were mixed, and audiences didn’t exactly line up for tickets. Box office results were underwhelming, and the planned August 2024 release of Chapter 2 was quietly shelved. As of now, there's no word on whether it will get a theatrical or streaming release.
That means if this lawsuit goes to trial, it might beat Horizon 2 to the public eye—a public relations nightmare for a franchise that still has two more chapters waiting in the wings.
💬 A Battle of Perspectives
Of course, Costner’s defense team insists this is all a gross mischaracterization. They argue that LaBella’s accusations don’t hold up against the timeline of her own actions, pointing to text messages and her continued participation in the production.
But LaBella’s lawyers, including Kate McFarlane, see things very differently.
“This case is a clear example of male-dominated, sexist Hollywood movie production,” McFarlane said. “Our client was subjected to brutal sexual conduct completely unprotected from the obvious harm.”
McFarlane emphasized that this kind of situation should never occur—not when the industry already has rules and systems in place to protect performers during intimate or violent scenes.
🔍 The Bigger Picture
What makes this lawsuit even more unsettling is how it touches on several recurring issues in the entertainment industry:
-
The need for clear communication and boundaries during scenes involving sexual or violent content.
-
The essential role of intimacy coordinators in protecting actors and stunt performers.
-
The power imbalance that can exist between directors and crew, especially when sudden, unplanned demands are made on set.
-
The persistent pattern of retaliation that whistleblowers allege when they speak up about mistreatment.
LaBella’s lawsuit isn’t just a legal complaint—it’s part of a larger narrative about accountability in Hollywood.
⏳ What’s Next?
At this point, there’s no court date set, and the lawsuit is still in its early stages. But if it goes the distance, it could become a landmark case in how film productions handle sensitive scenes—and how women in Hollywood are protected (or not) when things go off-script.
Meanwhile, fans of Costner’s Western saga will have to wait and see whether Horizon 2 ever makes it to screens—small or big. The franchise’s future is now riding on more than just critical acclaim or box office numbers. It’s caught in a legal showdown that could reshape its legacy before it’s even finished.
Login