The legal battle surrounding Kevin Costner’s highly anticipated Western sequel, Horizon 2, has taken a dramatic and deeply disturbing turn. A stuntwoman involved in the production has filed a lawsuit against the actor-director, alleging she was coerced into performing a sexually explicit, unscripted scene that she claims amounted to on-set assault.
The plaintiff, identified as Avery Morgan, a seasoned stunt performer with over a decade of experience in film and television, made headlines earlier this year when she accused Costner and the production team of violating professional boundaries during a key scene in Horizon 2. At the center of her lawsuit is a now-infamous scene that she claims was “never in the script, never rehearsed, and never agreed upon.”
The Allegations: “This Wasn’t Acting”
In her initial complaint, Morgan detailed a nightmarish filming experience where she was allegedly pressured into filming a graphic assault scene that had neither prior approval from her agent nor a stunt coordinator present. She claims that the scene was introduced on the spot under the guise of “pushing the realism” of the film, with Costner reportedly telling the crew, “Let’s shoot it raw — no cuts, no choreography.”
The lawsuit states that what followed was an unchoreographed, emotionally traumatizing scene that blurred the lines between acting and real-life violation. Morgan alleges that she was physically overpowered, her clothing forcefully torn, and her cries for a cut were ignored.
“What happened that day was not performance — it was coercion,” Morgan says in a sworn statement. “I was not acting. I was scared, and no one stepped in to stop it.”
New Evidence Emerges: Audio Recordings and Text Messages
This week, Morgan’s legal team unveiled new evidence they claim will prove beyond doubt that the incident was not only unscripted but was known and discussed among crew members afterward. The new evidence includes:
- An audio recording allegedly captured by a boom mic operator, in which a female voice believed to be Morgan can be heard sobbing, repeatedly asking, “Was that in the script?” followed by another voice replying, “He [Costner] said it would be powerful. That’s all we knew.”
- A series of text messages between Morgan and an assistant director the morning after the shoot. In the texts, the assistant director appears to apologize, writing: “You didn’t deserve what happened yesterday. None of us saw that coming. You were incredibly brave.”
- A crew member’s email sent to the production office that reads in part: “We need clear boundaries. That was not a simulated scene — that was real, and we all saw it.”
Morgan’s attorneys say the evidence reveals not only an alarming disregard for consent but also a broader culture of fear and silence on the set.
Costner’s Camp Responds: “Outrageous and Defamatory”
Kevin Costner has denied all allegations through his legal team, calling the lawsuit “baseless,” “outrageous,” and “a blatant distortion of artistic process.”
In a statement released through his attorney, Costner said:
“At no point was any actor or stunt performer subjected to anything that was not in the script or pre-approved by legal and union representatives. These claims are defamatory and will be addressed in court.”
Costner’s team argues that the scene in question was in fact included in a late-stage rewrite of the shooting script, which was allegedly circulated through production emails. However, Morgan’s team contends that neither she nor her representation were informed of the changes.
Industry Backlash and Union Involvement
The Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has confirmed it is now investigating the claims and reviewing the working conditions on the set of Horizon 2.
SAG-AFTRA issued a brief statement:
“The protection of our members is our top priority. We are reviewing all available evidence and will take appropriate actions should any violations be confirmed.”
The incident has reignited conversations in Hollywood around the ethics of filming intimate or traumatic scenes. Several fellow stunt performers and actors have come forward anonymously to share concerns about increasingly blurred lines in method-style directing, especially on high-budget productions where powerful directors command immense creative freedom.
A Career on Pause, and a Personal Reckoning
For Avery Morgan, the fallout has been both professional and personal. Once a go-to name for stunt coordination in Westerns and action thrillers, Morgan says she has lost job offers and been ostracized in certain industry circles since going public.
“I did what I was trained to do. I trusted the set, the director, the union — and I was violated in front of everyone,” Morgan said in a recent interview. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like that.”
Morgan’s lawsuit seeks damages for emotional trauma, lost wages, and violation of union and workplace safety laws. She also says she hopes the case will spark a larger shift in the industry around how intimate and violent scenes are handled — especially for stunt performers, who often lack the same visibility and protections as actors.
What’s Next?
The case is set to go to trial in the fall, unless a settlement is reached beforehand. Meanwhile, production on Horizon 2 has reportedly wrapped, though promotional plans are now clouded by controversy.
Legal experts say the case could set a major precedent regarding consent and transparency on film sets. “If the court finds that this went beyond performance and into actual non-consensual conduct, it could change the entire framework for how stunt and intimate scenes are handled moving forward,” says entertainment law attorney Grace Lin.
Whether Kevin Costner’s legacy will be affected remains to be seen. But for Avery Morgan, the fight is about more than reputation — it’s about respect, safety, and truth.
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