Stunt Double Sues Kevin Costner For Alleged “Hostile Work Environment” On Troubled ‘Horizon’ Film Series
on May 30, 2025
Lawsuit Alleges Impromptu Intimate Scene Was Forced Upon Stunt Double
With the second installment in Kevin Costner’s Western film series Horizon: An American Saga still awaiting a wide release, the film is facing yet another legal battle.
Earlier in May of 2025, one of the film’s investing partners and its distributor filed for arbitration proceedings against Costner in an effort to recoup funds.
Now, as of Tuesday, May 27, Costner has been sued by Devyn LaBella, a stunt double who worked on Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2.
Among her complaints, which were filed with the Superior Court of California in the County of Los Angeles, LaBella alleges she “was the victim of a violent unscripted, unscheduled rape scene directed by Kevin Costner.”
Related: Kevin Costner’s Troubled ‘Horizon’ Film Series Held Up In Legal Battle
Background
With a demand for a jury trial made, LaBella has filed her lawsuit, detailing the events that she says have led to the “upending” of her career while inciting “permanent trauma.”
As a member of the Screen Actors Guild, LaBella and the film’s producer are obligated to adhere to specific policies “when auditioning, rehearsing, filming or handling last minute requests regarding a nude or semi-nude scene, simulated sex or other intimate scene, including the mandatory involvement and presence of an intimacy coordinator.”
Detailing the primary purpose of her work on Horizon, the lawsuit states, “As part of her role as the lead stunt double, Ms. LaBella’s job was to step in for [actress Ella Hunt] during physical scenes and to perform the stunt while the cameras were rolling. Such scenes are usually rehearsed and choreographed to ensure safety and accuracy.”
This kind of work also applies to scenes of an intimate nature, the lawsuit states.
Arriving on set on May 1, 2023, the call sheet for the day’s closed-set shoot allegedly read:
“Sig wrestles Juliette down onto wagon bed, gets on top of her, with his hand clamped over her mouth. He snuffs the lantern, tells her to lie still and rakes at her clothes.”
The lawsuit states that Costner’s private rehearsal of the scene that morning — which occurred with LaBella, the film’s stunt coordinator, an intimacy coordinator, and the other necessary cast members — “was professional, took place with no onlookers, and methodically walked all the scene participants, especially Ms. LaBella, through every single step of what would be an aggressive and intimate rape scene.”
When the scene was filmed later that morning, and “no issues were noted.”
The Alleged Incident
Reader discretion is advised: the following information and excerpts from the lawsuit are of a graphic and intimate nature.
The next day, May 2, 2023, LaBella was “on set to perform a non-intimate scene as a double for [Ella] Hunt.”
The call sheet for the day’s shoot allegedly read:
“[Ella Hunt’s character] rakes thru a chest drawer with Hugh’s clothes, gets his carbine gun with handwritten instructions.”
When LaBella arrived on set, the lawsuit claims she discovered that Costner had requested for additional scenes to be shot, without notice of physical action or provisions in place for an intimacy coordinator.
“In these new scenes, Mr. [Roger] Ivens was to climb on top of Ms. Hunt, violently raking up her skirt,” the lawsuit details. “Defendant Costner, who was present on the set, specifically added this scene, which varied from the scene filmed the day before which had not involved pulling up the actor’s skirt.”
While he is not among the defendants sued by LaBella, the actor Roger Ivens is described in the lawsuit, quoting from his own personal website, stating, “standing at 6’2”, 220lbs … Extensive combat, stunt and acting training makes Roger Ivens a presence to be reckoned with as your door kicker in film.”
Further, LaBella claims that Ella Hunt “became visibly upset and walked off the set, refusing to do the scene … due to the ad hoc and violent nature of the sudden script change request, along with the failure to secure a contractually required intimacy coordinator for the scene.”
However, LaBella says she did not know Hunt had responded to this change of plans in the manner she had until after the scenes were already shot.
When she was asked to stand-in for Hunt to set up the scene, LaBella says she complied, even though stand-in work was outside of the role of a stunt double.
Her “involvement in the impromptu shot would go beyond standing in as a standard body-double,” the lawsuit claims. “She was not warned or prepared for Mr. Ivens to perform or engage in any action on top of her and first learned that Ivens would mount her and violently pull her skirt up when he was already on top of her doing so.”
“As filming began, Ms. LaBella laid down in the wagon as Defendant Costner instructed. Costner approached her and directed that she hang her boots out of the wagon as the camera team and crew continued to test out and frame their shots … Then, without proper notice, consent, preparation, or appropriate safeguard measures in place, such as the project’s intimacy coordinator being called in, Defendant Costner directed Mr. Ivens to repeatedly perform a violent simulated rape on Ms. LaBella. As directed by Costner, this unscripted, unrehearsed scene consisted of Mr. Ivens mounting Ms. LaBella while miming the unbuttoning of his pants, and using his body and arms forcibly pinning down Ms. LaBella, who was on her back underneath him. Mr. Ivens violently rustled Ms. LaBella’s skirt up as if trying to penetrate her against her will.”
Reflecting upon this alleged incident, the lawsuit says, “There was no escaping the situation, and all [LaBella] could do was wait for the nightmare to end.”
LaBella’s lawsuit alleges the lack of a closed-set added to the “humiliation” of the impromptu scene, and the absence of the intimacy coordinator meant the scene was not conducted in a manner she was familiar with on other productions, including the scene shot on the previous day for Horizon.
Without the intimacy coordinator, the lawsuit says, “Following the shooting of each take of the rape scene, Mr. Ivens never separated from Ms. LaBella. After a ‘take,’ he laid on his side with his face about a foot apart from hers while still touching her and with his hand resting above Ms. LaBella’s vagina as if this was still the middle of the scene. There was constant connection and touching, even between takes.”
In the days following the impromptu rape scene, LaBella met with the stunt coordinators on the film as well as the intimacy coordinator to inform them about what happened on May 2, 2023. The lawsuit claims her ability to work was impeded upon, saying she “experienced continuous reminders of the shame, humiliation and complete lack of control she had experienced during the May 2 filming; she experienced sudden bouts of crying on and off set.”
She then flew home for a few days to “help her regain control.” Returning to set, she felt “the production team was now extra careful” around her. “She was directed to stay alone in her trailer and not be present on set even though this resulted in her being dressed in costume for full days and then not used.”
When the film wrapped production, she was not hired to return for Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 3, which is currently in production despite Horizon 2 only premiering on the film festival circuit after having its scheduled wide theatrical release delayed.
LaBella’s lawsuit makes no mention of Horizon 1 and Horizon 2 being shot simultaneously.
Regarding her symptoms since the production on Horizon 2 ended, the lawsuit states:
“In June 2023, Ms. LaBella began therapy to address symptoms stemming from her traumatic experience on the set of Horizon 2, including intrusive distressing memories of the traumatic event, sleep disturbance, fears of intimacy, and anxiety, among others. The workplace, and stunt work in general, which was once a source of purpose and fulfillment, is now a place of heightened apprehension and the whole experience has left Ms. LaBella feeling ‘disposable’ and ‘worthless.’ The thought of returning to a set gives her an overwhelming sense of dread.”
The Lawsuit’s 9 Complaints
In total, there are nine complaints for damages listed in LaBella’s lawsuit against Costner and his production company.
- Sexual Discrimination in Violation of California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA);
- Sexual Harassment in Violation of FEHA;
- Hostile Work Environment in Violation of FEHA;
- Sexual Harassment in Violation of Cal. Civ. Code;
- Failure to Remedy/Prevent Discrimination and Harassment in Violation of FEHA;
- Retaliation in Violation of FEHA;
- Interference with the Exercise of Civil Rights in Violation of the Bane Act;
- Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress; and
- Breach of Contract.
In addition to requesting being awarded “compensatory damages” and “punitive damages” where available, LaBella’s lawsuit requests that Costner “submit to anti-sexual harassment and anti-sexual violence training provided by a reputable organization,” and that he “be required to engage an Intimacy Coordinator on all future productions to which they are attached.”
Read the full lawsuit here.
Costner’s Attorney Responds
In a statement submitted to the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday, May 28, Kevin Costner’s attorney, Martin Singer, shared his confidence that his client would “prevail” against LaBella’s lawsuit.
“Our client Kevin Costner always wants to make sure that everyone is comfortable working on his films and takes safety on set very seriously,” Singer told the Los Angeles Times. “However, this claim by Devyn LaBella has absolutely no merit, and it is completely contradicted by her own actions — and the facts.”
Singer added that LaBella is a “serial accuser of people in the entertainment industry,” alleging she and her legal representation were utilizing “shakedown tactics.”
Speaking on the scene in question, Singer stated, “As a stunt performer on Horizon 2, the scene in question was explained to Ms. LaBella, and after she performed the rehearsal in character with another actor, she gave her Stunt Coordinator supervisor a ‘thumbs up’ and indicated her willingness to then shoot the scene, if needed (which she was not).”
Text messages allegedly sent from LaBella to the film’s stunt coordinator after she finished work on the film were also sent to the Los Angeles Times by Singer, reading, “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 … Have a great rest of the shoot and yes talk soon!”
This is a developing story.
