Kevin Costner Faces Lawsuit Over Disturbing Unscripted Scene in Horizon 2

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An American Saga – Chapter 2″ are facing a lawsuit by a stunt performer who alleges an unscripted sexual assault scene occurred during filming. A while ago, Costner announced the development of the “Horizon” series, a new collection of Western-themed films. The initial plan was to release the first two movies just two months apart last summer. However, due to poor box office performance, “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1” was released late in June, and as a result, the distributor decided to postpone the release of “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, a significant controversy surrounding the set of Horizon 2 has come to light as stunt performer Devyn LaBella has filed a lawsuit. LaBella alleges that in May 2023, she was unexpectedly asked to film an unsolicited and graphic rape scene without prior warning. She did not provide her consent for the scene and contends that the Horizon 2 set lacked an intimacy coordinator as required by contract. As a result, LaBella is suing Costner and the production companies for sexual discrimination, harassment, and creating a hostile work environment. Her statement can be found below:

On that particular day, I found myself vulnerable, without shield or guardian, and profoundly deceived by a system that guaranteed security and expertise. The events that transpired destroyed my faith and redefined the way I navigate within this sector.

In opposition to LaBella’s statement, Costner’s attorney, Marty Singer, said the following:

Costner is committed to ensuring a comfortable and secure work environment for everyone involved in his films, prioritizing safety on set. [The allegations made in the lawsuit] are entirely baseless and directly conflict with [LaBella’s] own behavior and the facts.

What This Means For The Horizon Movies

This Is Not The First Legal Battle Horizon Has Faced

It’s not the first instance of legal complications for the Horizon movie series. Recently, New Line Cinema has submitted an arbitration lawsuit against Kevin Costner and his company. New Line alleges that the Horizon team violated the terms of their financing agreement. In a complex loan scenario, City National Bank had previously filed arbitration cases against both New Line and Horizon Series. However, New Line retaliated with a counterclaim against Costner’s company, asserting that they failed to meet their financial obligations. The LaBella claims introduce an extra layer of legal issues.

Regarding this recent allegation, it’s stated that LaBella was employed as Ella Hunt’s stunt double for scenes involving intimacy, where an intimacy coordinator is required. The contract, following negotiations, specified that an intimacy coordinator should be present in all nude or intimate scenes. Logically speaking, these conditions might have extended to LaBella as well, given her role. However, one day an intimacy coordinator was indeed present, ensuring everything was proper. But the following day, during the shooting of non-intimate scenes, LaBella found out that Costner had inserted a sudden, unplanned, and potentially violent sexual scene with another actor, without any involvement from the intimacy team.

Our Take On The Horizon Legal Claim

This Is Troubling In The Ongoing Intimacy Coordinator Conversation

Although Costner’s team might still refute LaBella’s allegation, the nature of her lawsuit is particularly troubling given the current discourse surrounding intimacy coordinators. In the past, having a role like this was uncommon on set. Shows such as “Sex Education” have helped correct past oversights and make intimacy coordination more standard practice in the industry, but this change has not come without controversy, as actors, directors, and others hold differing views about their importance. Considering the ongoing debate, it’s questionable taste for Horizon to not have an intimacy coordinator on set during such an intense scene.

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2025-05-28 16:48