Costner Responds Strongly to Sexual Harassment Allegations from Stuntwoman
Kevin Costner Battles Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Amid Struggles With ‘Horizon’ Film Series
For over three decades, Kevin Costner has been developing Horizon: An American Saga, a sweeping multi-part film series set in the American West. In an August 18 statement, the 70-year-old actor and director explained that the project explores themes such as the American Civil War, the settler-Native American relationship, the struggles of European immigrants, and the often-overlooked role of women during that era—particularly the violence and hardships they endured.
However, a stand-in on the second Horizon film claims that Costner’s cinematic vision has been gravely undermined. In May, stuntwoman Devyn LaBella filed a lawsuit against Costner and the production companies, alleging she was subjected to a “violent, unscripted, unscheduled rape scene” while serving as a double for actress Ella Hunt in 2023. In the sexual harassment and hostile workplace complaint, LaBella claims the scene caused “permanent trauma” and seeks unspecified damages.
The lawsuit was filed on May 2—just one day after Costner was reportedly blindsided by divorce papers from his second wife, Christine Baumgartner. Initially dismissing the allegations as a “shakedown,” Costner has now responded with a formal court filing, calling LaBella’s claims “a bold-faced lie.” He wrote, “My belief is that Devyn’s claims were designed, through false statements and sensationalistic language, to damage my reputation.” He further alleged that she is trying to embarrass him and derail the Horizon project in hopes of securing “a massive and unjustified payday.”
Costner added that confronting allegations involving “the words ‘rape’ and ‘assault’” has been “an absolute nightmare.”
A source close to the actor told Star that Costner is “fighting these heinous claims with everything he’s got,” maintaining the lawsuit “has zero merit whatsoever.” His legal team has requested the case be dismissed at a September 18 hearing.
Conflicting Accounts
According to LaBella, Costner improvised a scene during shot blocking in which an actor aggressively lifted her skirt and straddled her. In June, she amended her complaint to include text messages sent to intimacy coordinator Celeste Chaney the day after the incident, describing it as an “abomination.” In the messages, she questioned how the scene had been allowed and asked, “Who is gonna take responsibility for the abuse of power, negligence and ignorance on set?”
Chaney—who was not present during the scene in question—has backed LaBella, referring to the blocked scene as a “violent rape scene” that was “unexpectedly sprung on the actors and stunt professionals.” She also noted that LaBella lacked proper modesty garments to ensure coverage and safety.
Costner disputes that version of events, asserting LaBella’s “privacy was fully maintained”—a claim he supports with on-set photos submitted in court. According to Costner, the scene was never filmed and involved “no simulated sex,” only a blocking of a moment intended to imply an offscreen rape. The sequence, he said, consisted merely of raising the hem of a dress from ankle to knee and having an actor move into position on all fours.
His legal team further argues that LaBella appeared comfortable and professional throughout, citing photos and video as well as a friendly text she sent to her supervisor nine days later thanking him for “these wonderful weeks!”
Additionally, Costner’s team submitted sworn testimony from over a dozen crew members, including stunt coordinator Wade Allen, who supervised LaBella and was present during the scene. Allen insisted she showed “no distress or discomfort,” and gave a thumbs-up before and after the run-through, which he said involved “no intimacy, no nudity, no sexual conduct or movement of any kind.”
Actor Roger Ivens, who was also involved in the scene, denied the incident constituted a simulated sex act, calling LaBella’s description “false and sensationalist.”
Costner wrote in his declaration that “the truth matters,” and though the lawsuit has been both “financially and personally costly,” he will “always speak up to defend myself and my crew against false allegations.”
He also pushed back against LaBella’s claim that she was blacklisted from future Horizon projects, calling it “absurd,” since filming for Horizon III has not yet begun.
The Legal Battle Heats Up
LaBella’s attorney, James Vagnini, issued a sharp rebuttal, accusing Costner of using his influence to avoid accountability. “Claims that Devyn’s professional demeanor on set discredits the assault she endured is not only insulting to victims everywhere,” he said, “but directly disproven by multiple eyewitness accounts and irrefutable evidence,” including text messages and a damning report from the intimacy coordinator.
He called Costner’s legal motion a “desperate delay tactic from a panicked legal team with no real defense,” and added that “the only thing damaging Kevin’s reputation is his own behavior and the narrative he’s spinning to deflect blame.”
More Challenges for Horizon
This lawsuit isn’t the only issue facing Costner’s Horizon series. He has personally invested at least $38 million into the project, even mortgaging property to finance it. With a combined budget of around $100 million for the first two installments, Chapter I earned just $38.7 million globally. As a result, the theatrical release of Chapter II has been delayed—a move Costner acknowledged was likely due to the first film’s underperformance.
“I admit it didn’t have overwhelming success,” Costner said during an appearance at the Venice Film Festival in September.
Despite an estimated net worth of $250 million, a source tells Star that the Oscar-winning director has recently faced major financial pressures. His contentious divorce from Christine Baumgartner, the mother of his three youngest children, ended in 2023 with a judge upholding their prenuptial agreement. Baumgartner walked away with a $1.5 million lump sum and $63,000 per month in child support.
“He’s still sore about that,” the source said. “And putting so much money into Horizon—only to see it stumble—was another blow.”
Still, Costner says he’s committed to completing the four-part saga. “Sometimes when things don’t come to us easily, we want to walk away,” he reflected. “But there’s something in me that only increases my desire when something is not working. When I feel rejection, unlike anybody else, when I open my eyes from my disappointment, my desire is only increased.”
