Kevin Costner is being sued for $400,000 for breach of contract.
Why Is Kevin Costner Being Sued?
The 70-year-old actor and various other people associated with his Western epic Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 are the subject of legal action from the Western Costume Leasing Company, who allege they entered an agreement to provide “valuable costumes” for the film but have not received agreed payments.
According to documents filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court and obtained by People magazine, Costner — who also wrote and directed the film — and his co-defendants racked up a bill of $134,256.82 and failed to pay multiple invoices.
The lawsuit alleges Horizon producers did “not dispute receipt of the costumes nor quality of them,” and they were used in the film.
The company are seeking more than $350,000 in damages, including the $134,256.82 in unpaid costume rentals and $150,000 in economic damages.
In addition, they also want $200,000 in attorney’s fees, $40,000 in accrued interest on the bills, $100,000 in punitive damages and “such further relief as the Court deems just and proper.”
Why Is a Stuntwoman Suing Kevin Costner?
This isn’t the first lawsuit to hit the production.
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In May, stunt performer Devyn LaBella alleged she had been “the victim of a violent, unscripted, unscheduled rape scene directed by Kevin Costner.”
In her lawsuit, Devyn claimed she was asked by the director to “stand in” for lead actress Ella Hunt in a sexual assault scene “without proper notice, consent, preparation, or appropriate safeguard measures in place.”
She alleged Hunt had walked off set after refusing to do the scene.
In response, Costner — who has put at least $38 million of his own money into the movie series — insisted the allegations were “absolutely false.”
He wrote in a declaration to the court, “Devyn’s claims against me are absolutely false, and it is deeply disappointing to me that a woman who worked on our production would claim that I or any other member of my production team would make one of our own feel uncomfortable, let alone suffer the ‘nightmare’ she has invented.”
According to the actor’s declaration, the scene was included the script and saw Devyn in “full costume” of bike shorts and ankle-length dress lying next to actor Roger Ivens in a covered wagon.
He insisted the scene only had Roger lift the hem of Devyn’s dress before swinging a leg over her so that he ended up “on all fours over her.”
The declaration insisted: “There was no nudity, simulated sex, simulated rape, physical contact, fighting, gyrating, or any physicality other than Devyn’s outer dress being pushed from her ankles to her knees.
“While Devyn’s outer dress may have bunched up around her knees (there was a lot of fabric), the dress was still below her waist and the pantaloons and petticoats underneath remained undisturbed.”
The Yellowstone actor insisted the scene had been blocked ahead of time with the participation of the performer, who “understood what was to happen and consented to help.”.
In the filing, Costner — who directed, co-wrote, produced and starred in Horizon — included declarations from other members of the cast and crew to support his version of events.
And he alleged LeBella had texted a supervisor after filming and said, “Thank you for these wonderful weeks! I so appreciate you! I learned so much and thank you again. I’m really happy it worked out the way it did too. Have a great rest of the shoot and yes talk soon!”
Kevin Costner’s Top 10 Films, Ranked
Kevin Costner has had a long and distinguished career as a filmmaker, but some of his movies stand far above the others. Here are the top Kevin Costner movies, ranked in order.
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
