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Kevin Costner Urges President To Make Schools Teach More History

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Kevin Costner
Photo Credit: Ariela Ortiz-Barrantes, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Veteran actor and filmmaker Kevin Costner has weighed in on the direction of American education, urging President Donald Trump to steer the country toward a more history-centric curriculum.

During an interview with the Associated Press on Tuesday, Costner shared his vision for reshaping the nation’s educational priorities, particularly at a time when the president is implementing broad changes in the education sector.

“I wish we would have a giant shift in education where history dominated more than math,” Costner said, voicing concern over what he sees as a system that undervalues historical knowledge.

He made the case that students who are naturally gifted in math will pursue it regardless of curriculum requirements.

“The people that are really good at math, they’re going to search out math anyway – cause that’s who they are, they’re just built that way,” he remarked.

The aging actor, best known for his roles in films like Dances With Wolves and the hit series Yellowstone, also pointed to the unifying power of history amid a divided country.

“Everybody can understand where they come from,” he stated.

The two-time Academy Award winner is currently involved with the History Channel’s upcoming series The West, a project that aligns with his long-standing fascination with American history and frontier life.

Reflecting on his early struggles in school, Costner shared how the educational system didn’t always accommodate his interests or strengths.

“I was often not at the wrong end of the bell curve. There was too much math, and there was not enough history. And I was made to feel like a dumbbell,” he recalled.

Despite labeling himself as a “public school guy,” Costner did not let those early challenges deter him from developing a deep interest in history and storytelling.

“I don’t know, the advice thing, I’d like them to see how I do my work. I take it seriously,” he added.

Costner graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a degree in business administration in 1978.

That background, along with the considerable earnings from his decades-long career in film and television, may now be crucial as he faces serious legal allegations.

This week, Costner was named in a lawsuit filed by stunt performer Devyn LaBella, who is accusing the Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 director of directing what she describes as “a violent, unscripted, unscheduled rape scene.”

The suit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, stems from an alleged 2023 incident during filming.

According to LaBella, she was hired to stand in for actress Ella Hunt during physical scenes but claims her contractual protections were ignored.

The complaint says that Hunt declined to shoot the newly requested scenes after learning Costner had asked for actor Roger Ivens to simulate a sexual assault.

LaBella, unaware of Hunt’s refusal, agreed to step in. She alleges she had no idea that “involvement in the impromptu shot would go beyond standing in as a standard body-double.”

The lawsuit states that “she was not warned or prepared for Mr. Ivens to perform or engage in any action on top of her and first learned that Ivens would mount her and violently pull her skirt up when he was already on top of her doing so.”

According to the filing, Costner, the director, failed to give clear direction or define when the scene began or ended.

“She was never given the opportunity to prepare for or consent to participate in this scene, much less to object to it,” the lawsuit claims.

LaBella said the ordeal was “especially humiliating” due to her being on her menstrual cycle and noted that between takes, “Mr. Ivens’ hands rested on top of the bundled-up skirt above her vagina.”

She also asserts the scene was “broadcast publicly on monitors for the entire crew to witness,” arguing the set should have been closed due to the nature of the content.

She is now seeking damages and has requested a jury trial.

Costner’s attorney, Marty Singer, responded harshly to the accusations, referring to LaBella as a “serial accuser” and rejecting the allegations outright.

“He always wants to make sure that everyone is comfortable working on his films and takes safety on set very seriously,” Singer said.

Accusing LaBella of “shakedown tactics,” Singer maintained that she had rehearsed and approved the scene with another actor before filming.

He also suggested she showed no signs of distress following the incident.

He cited text messages allegedly sent by LaBella afterward, which included cartwheel and heart emojis and appeared to thank the stunt coordinator for the opportunity.

“The facts are clear and we are beyond confident that Kevin will prevail,” Singer concluded.

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