A complete timeline of Kevin Costner's controversies, from his messy divorce to a 'Horizon' lawsuit

Business Insider

2 days ago

Costner's career suffered in 1995 thanks to the critical and box-office disaster that was "Waterworld."
Costner starred in, produced, and later took over directing duties for the postapocalyptic action film "Waterworld," which made headlines before its release thanks to its ballooning budget, which made it one of the expensive movies of its day.
Production setbacks, on-set injuries (including one sustained by Costner himself), and a natural disaster that destroyed an important set all inflated the final cost to a then-record $175 million.
When the film landed in theaters, the critical consensus was that it was also one of the worst movies ever made.
Costner, who personally invested $22 million into the film, lost more than just money in the aftermath of the box office flop. His career took a downward turn that continued with the release of his second directorial effort, "The Postman," two years later in 1997. That film collected a handful of Razzies, including Worst Actor and Worst Director.
Costner made an enemy of the Lakota Sioux following the release of "Dances With Wolves."
"Dances With Wolves," Costner's 1990 Oscar-winning directorial debut, was praised for its attempt to portray Native American people and their culture more authentically than previous Western films.
Costner also found himself embraced by the Lakota Sioux nation, whom he enlisted to fill out his cast of Native American characters.
But five years after the film was released, the New York Times reported that the Lakota Sioux had felt "betrayed" by Costner after he put forward a proposal to build a casino, golf course, and resort on National Forest land in Deadwood, South Dakota, an area which they consider sacred.
Costner and his brother and business partner, Dan Costner, offered to swap a 600-acre parcel of land 10 miles away for the land they were seeking, something the tribe resisted.
While the Costners did acquire land in South Dakota to build their resort, it never materialized and the pair put the 1,000 acres of land on sale for $14 million in 2013.
However, it's not completely in the past. Costner is still involved in a decadeslong legal battle with an artist whom he commissioned to create a bronze sculpture for the failed resort.
Stephen Baldwin brought a lawsuit against Costner in 2012 and accused him of cheating him out of millions of dollars.
After the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, Costner was forced to defend himself in court against accusations that he cheated Stephen Baldwin out of millions of dollars.
The federal lawsuit brought against Costner by Baldwin and his business partner, Spyridon C. Contogouris, claimed that Costner hid details of a lucrative deal with BP before they sold their stake in Costner's company that created centrifugal oil-water separators.
Baldwin and Contogouris sought $17 million in damages, stating they could have made at least that much in the deal.
After a two-week trial, the jury sided with Costner and they got nothing.
Costner left "Yellowstone" before it ended following rumors of a behind-the-scenes feud with cocreator Taylor Sheridan.
The behind-the-scenes drama of "Yellowstone" drew just as much attention as its on-screen action toward the end of its five-season run.
After reports began to circulate in early 2023 that Costner had clashed with Taylor Sheridan, the "Yellowstone" showrunner, over shooting schedules, the Paramount Network announced in May 2023 that the series' fifth season would be its last.
Before the final episodes — which promptly killed off Costner's character — began airing in late 2024, things got ugly in the press. It was alleged that Costner offered to spend only a week on set for the final episodes, while Costner claimed that Sheridan dragged his feet with the scripts, leaving him no option but to opt out. The Oscar winner even said at one point that he would "probably go to court" with the show's producers over his final paycheck, but as of 2025, that lawsuit hasn't materialized.
The actor's messy legal separation from his second wife turned into tabloid fodder in 2023.
Costner and Christine Baumgartner's divorce proceedings played out in the public eye throughout 2023, after Baumgartner filed for divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences" after 18 years of marriage.
The two battled it out in court over child support payments, their home, the terms of their prenup, and even household items like a Peloton and cutlery — and all of their disagreements were dissected by the public.
The interest in their divorce was fueled by jabs made by their respective lawyers in filings: Baumgartner's lawyers cast doubts on whether Costner had been faithful during their marriage. Costner's camp claimed Baumgartner inflated her child support payment request to cover $188,000 worth of plastic surgery.
The two appeared to be headed for a contentious trial until they reached an undisclosed settlement agreement in September 2023.
Costner mortgaged his house to fund his first "Horizon" movie. It became one of the biggest box-office flops of 2024.
Part of the reason Costner couldn't continue his commitments to "Yellowstone" toward the end of its run was because of production on his own Western film franchise, " Horizon," which was originally conceived as four feature-length films that would be released in the space of a year.
However, following the first film's disappointing box office performance upon its release in June 2024, the scheduled release date of the second film was pushed back from August 2024. It still hasn't been released.
To get "Horizon" made, Costner mortgaged his property in Santa Barbara and invested $38 million of his own money. Costner and his undisclosed financial backers are also covering the first film's marketing, which Variety estimated cost $30 million.
The self-financing route was a huge gamble, and one that it appears Costner is still paying off. As it stands, "Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1" has made $38 million at the global box office, meaning it hasn't yet made a profit.
In May 2025, Costner and his "Horizon 2" producers were sued by a stunt performer who says she was made to perform an impromptu rape scene.
In a lawsuit filed in California on Tuesday and viewed by Business Insider, Devyn LaBella accused the actor-director, the production companies behind his "Horizon" film series, and 10 additional unnamed individuals involved in producing "Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2" of breach of contract and sexual harassment.
In the suit, LaBella, who was the stunt double for actor Ella Hunt, said that she was made to perform in a "violent unscripted" rape scene without the required notice and consent and without a mandatory intimacy coordinator present.
She also said it was an open set, allowing "anyone" to walk in and "observe the scene being performed."
"I was left exposed, unprotected, and deeply betrayed by a system that promised safety and professionalism," LaBella told The Hollywood Reporter, which broke the news Tuesday.