Stunt performer Devyn LaBella sued Kevin Costner and companies behind Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2, alleging that she was asked to perform unscripted simulated sexual violence during the film’s 2023 Utah production. Costner’s attorney disputes her account, saying the scene was explained and rehearsed. The claims remain contested; they are not findings about what happened on set or about the released film.
Who filed the lawsuit, and what is it about?
LaBella, who worked as a stunt double for actor Ella Hunt, filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court in May 2025 against Costner and Horizon production companies. Her complaint focuses on filming in Utah on May 1 and 2, 2023. The dispute centers on what happened during additional work on May 2, what LaBella had been told, and whether the safeguards used the previous day were in place.
What does LaBella allege happened on May 1 and May 2?
May 1: a planned scene, according to LaBella
In her declaration, LaBella says the May 1 scene was scripted, discussed in advance, rehearsed and filmed with intimacy coordinator Celeste Chaney present.
May 2: additional shots, according to LaBella
LaBella says production asked her the next day to take part in additional blocking shots involving simulated sexual violence. She characterizes that work as unscripted and says the protections used on May 1 were absent. She wrote: “I do not object, as Defendants appear to argue, to filming episodes of sexual intimacy, simulated rape, sex acts or other forms of violence.” Her stated objection concerns the circumstances of the work she describes, not the subject matter in itself.
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How do Costner and the defendants describe the scene?
Costner’s attorney, Martin Singer, told the Los Angeles Times that LaBella’s claim had “absolutely no merit.” Singer said she had been told what the scene involved, rehearsed it and indicated she was willing to film it if needed; he cited a post-production thank-you text. He also said: “Our client Kevin Costner always wants to make sure that everyone is comfortable working on his films and takes safety on set very seriously.”
The defendants’ anti-SLAPP motion describes May 1 as filming scripted buildup to the character’s assault, with an intimacy coordinator present. It characterizes the May 2 work as additional shots connected to the scripted story and asks the court to dismiss the suit. That description is the defendants’ position in a court filing, not a judicial finding. The parties’ accounts differ on what the May 2 shots were, what LaBella had agreed to, and which personnel or safeguards were present.
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What has the court decided, and what happens next?
Coverage of an October 2025 anti-SLAPP ruling reported that the judge struck two claims but allowed most of LaBella’s case to proceed. Later reporting said Costner appealed and trial-court proceedings were stayed while appeals were pending. These procedural decisions do not resolve the underlying factual dispute.
The latest docket snapshot available for this account was refreshed September 18, 2026. Trellis listed appellate-related events and a status conference continued to October 28, 2026—an upcoming date as of October 8, 2026. The docket snapshot does not establish what happened after its refresh date.
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- Kevin Costner, Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jena Malone
Is this a claim about the released film?
No. The lawsuit concerns alleged events during the film’s 2023 production in Utah. It is not a finding that the released film contains an unscripted scene, nor is it a final court determination of LaBella’s allegations. The complaint, declarations and defendants’ motion present competing accounts that remain contested.
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Rank #4
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