Kevin Costner sued by stunt woman over unscripted scene in 'Horizon 2'
A stunt performer on Horizon 2 sued director and actor Kevin Costner, alleging that she was forced to perform an unscripted scene without proper protocols.
The complainant, Devyn LaBella, was the lead stunt double for Ella Hunt, who played the role of Juliette in the Horizon film franchise, reported Variety.
According to LaBella's lawsuit, Costner, the director allegedly improvised a scene in which Hunt's character would be assaulted sexually in the film.
Hunt refused to perform the scene, so the stunt woman was brought in as her replacement.
"On that day, I was left exposed, unprotected, and deeply betrayed by a system that promised safety and professionalism," LaBella said in a statement as reported by Variety. "What happened to me shattered my trust and forever changed how I move through this industry,"
As per the outlet, the suit alleges that the scene violated protocols negotiated by SAG-AFTRA, which includes a requirement for a 48-hour notice.
The incident took place on May 2, 2023, on the sets in Utah. LaBella's attorney called it a clear example of "male-dominated sexist Hollywood" movie production.
"...Our client was subjected to brutal sexual conduct completely unprotected from the obvious harm," said Kate McFarlane, one of the plaintiffs' attorneys, was quoted as saying.
However, Costner's attorney has denied the allegations, saying he "always wants to make sure that everyone is comfortable working on his films and takes safety on set very seriously".
Costner's attorney, Marty Singer, said that the scene was explained to LaBella, and after a rehearsal, she gave a "thumbs up" to her stunt coordinator, indicating her willingness to film the scene "if needed".
That evening, according to Singer, LaBella had dinner with the stunt coordinators and was reportedly in "good spirits" and made "no complaints to them".
The suit also states that following the incident, Devyn LaBella allegedly went into therapy to deal with the after-effects of the traumatic experience.
In Costner's defence, Singer also produced a text message that LaBella allegedly sent to the stunt coordinator upon completing the shoot.
It stated, "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. Have a great rest of the shoot and yes, talk soon!" as quoted by Variety.
According to the complaint, LaBella was not hired back for Horizon 3, and has not been hired on any of the coordinator's other projects, though she worked for him regularly beforehand.
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