Kevin Costner Faces Lawsuit Over Improvised Rape Scene in Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2

Kevin Costner, who stars in and directs the Horizon film series, is being sued by stunt performer Devyn LaBella for sexual harassment, breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and sexual discrimination. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County on May 25, 2025, alleges that Costner directed an unscripted rape scene on May 2, 2023, without proper safety protocols or an intimacy coordinator. LaBella, the lead stunt double for actress Ella Hunt, was asked to stand in for a scene with actor Roger Ivens without prior warning or preparation about the violent nature of the scene. According to the suit, LaBella was not informed that Ivens would mount her and forcibly pull up her skirt during filming. The call sheet had indicated a different scene for LaBella and Hunt, and Hunt herself refused to participate in the rape scene due to the lack of an intimacy coordinator, which was a breach of her contract. SAG-AFTRA policies require performers to receive scene details at least 48 hours before filming and mandate closed sets for such sensitive scenes, but the lawsuit claims over one hundred people witnessed the filming. Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2 premiered at the Venice Film Festival in August 2024 and was screened at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in February 2025.