Kevin Costner calls sexual assault allegations an attempt to ‘damage’ him, claims his accuser is doing it all to get money

Warning: The article mentions sexual assault allegations. Please proceed with caution.

Kevin Costner has strongly denied sexual harassment allegations from a stunt performer on his upcoming Western film Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2. The actor and director filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit this week, calling the claims false and damaging to his reputation.

Stunt performer Devyn LaBella sued Costner in May 2025, alleging she was forced to perform an unscripted rape scene during filming in Utah on May 2, 2023. LaBella claims she was working as a stunt double for actress Ella Hunt when Costner suddenly asked her to participate in a violent scene without proper safety protocols or an intimacy coordinator present.

According to Variety, in his court filing this week, Costner said the allegations are “so patently false I can only assume that the purpose was to use this sensationalistic language to embarrass and damage me and the Horizon movies on an ongoing basis in order to gain a massive and unjustified payday.” The actor described having to address allegations involving the words “rape” and “assault” as “an absolute nightmare.”

Costner seeks dismissal under anti-SLAPP law

Costner’s legal team is seeking to dismiss the case under California’s anti-SLAPP statute, which protects free speech on matters of public concern. His attorney Marty Singer argued that Horizon 2 addresses the struggles of women in the post-Civil War American West, including their vulnerability to violence, making it eligible for such protection.

The motion includes declarations from multiple crew members who maintain that the scene was not unusual. Actor Roger Ivens, who performed in the scene with LaBella, called her description “false and sensationalist.” Stunt coordinator Wade Allen stated the scene involved “no intimacy, no nudity, no sexual conduct or sexual movement of any kind” and that LaBella gave him a thumbs up before and after filming.

As evidence supporting his defense, Costner’s team provided a text message LaBella allegedly sent to her supervisor a week after the incident. The message thanked the supervisor for “these wonderful weeks” and expressed gratitude for the experience. However, LaBella’s lawyer, James Vagnini argues that her professional behavior does not undermine her allegations, noting they have been supported by the film’s intimacy coordinator and other witnesses.

The lawsuit represents another setback for Costner’s ambitious Western project. Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 struggled at the box office after its June 2024 release, earning just $38.7 million worldwide despite Costner investing $38 million of his own money into the series. The planned August 2024 release date for Chapter 2 was cancelled, and the film has yet to receive a new release date. Production on the third chapter has also been delayed.

LaBella’s lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, a public apology, and a requirement that intimacy coordinators be present on all of Costner’s future productions. She claims the incident left her with permanent trauma and derailed her career after she was not hired back for subsequent Horizon films. The stunt performer previously worked on major productions, including Barbie and American Horror Story.

A hearing on Costner’s motion to dismiss is scheduled for September 18, 2025, in Los Angeles Superior Court. If the court sides with Costner, the case could end quickly. If not, the lawsuit will proceed to discovery, likely generating additional media attention for the troubled Horizon series.