Costner seeks dismissal of LaBella suit over Horizon on-set incident

A high-stakes dispute over safety, consent, and on-set conduct has intensified around Kevin Costner’s Horizon An American Saga, with Costner moving to dismiss a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit brought by stunt performer Devyn LaBella. In a sworn declaration accompanied by photographs from production, Costner contends the claims are false and designed to damage his reputation, while LaBella maintains she was subjected to an unscripted and unsupervised assault on set. The case has drawn renewed attention to on-set protocols and the role of intimacy coordination in Costner’s stalled Horizon II project, which remains without a general release date.

LaBella, who served as a stand-in for lead actress Ella Hunt on Horizon 2, filed suit in May alleging a violent, unscripted assault scene was directed by Costner without warning or the presence of an intimacy coordinator. She asserted that, on May 2, 2023, she was asked to lie down as another actor was brought in to simulate an assault on top of her, without notice or rehearsal, and that her clothing was inadequately protected. The complaint also argued this violated industry agreements and Hunt’s contract, which called for an...