Kevin Costner faces lawsuit by ‘Horizon 2’ stunt person

Stunt performer Devyn LaBella has filed a lawsuit against Kevin Costner, alleging that she was forced to participate in an unscripted abuse scene without proper warning or safety measures while working on the film Horizon 2. 

The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, claims the scene was improvised by Costner, who also directed the movie.

According to the suit, LaBella was the lead stunt double for actress Ella Hunt, who was cast as Juliette. 

When Hunt refused to take part in the scene, LaBella was brought in unexpectedly and without her consent. The complaint states that the scene involved a male actor pinning LaBella down, mounting her, and violently pulling up her skirt—without an intimacy coordinator present and with the set still open to crew.

“On that day, I was left exposed, unprotected, and deeply betrayed by a system that promised safety and professionalism,” LaBella said in a statement. “What happened to me shattered my trust and forever changed how I move through this industry.”

LaBella claims the incident violated SAG-AFTRA rules, which require 48-hour notice and consent for any nudity or simulated intimate scenes. 

She performed in a scripted scene the day before, which the suit says was handled with professionalism, rehearsals, and all required safety measures in place.

Attorney Kate McFarlane, representing LaBella, said, “This case is a clear example of male-dominated, sexist Hollywood movie production. Our client was subjected to brutal sexual conduct completely unprotected from the obvious harm.”

Costner, through his attorney Marty Singer, denied the allegations, calling them baseless. 

“However, this claim by Devyn LaBella has absolutely no merit, and it is completely contradicted by her own actions – and the facts,” Singer said. 

“Ms. LaBella is a serial accuser of people in the entertainment industry and has worked with the same lawyer on past claims. But those shakedown tactics won’t work in this case.”

According to Singer, the scene was explained beforehand, and LaBella gave a “thumbs up” to her stunt coordinator after a rehearsal, signaling her approval to film the scene “if needed (which she was not).” He also stated that LaBella later had dinner with the stunt team, appeared in “good spirits,” and voiced no objections.

But LaBella’s lawsuit disputes that version. 

The complaint states that when she raised concerns later, she was blamed for not speaking up at the time. 

“Upon expressing her outrage and concern, the male attendees blamed her for not speaking up,” the suit alleges. “She now felt completely alone and disappointed, but, as production was not yet wrapped, Ms. LaBella had to continue working and keep up a professional attitude.”

Singer also presented a text message that LaBella allegedly sent to the stunt coordinator after filming wrapped: “Thank you for these wonderful weeks! I so appreciate you! I learned so much and thank you again. I’m really happy it worked out the way it did to. Have a great rest of the shoot and yes talk soon!”

The complaint notes that LaBella was not asked to return for Horizon 3 and has not been hired again by the stunt coordinator, despite having worked with him regularly in the past.