Kevin Costner Sued Over 'Unscripted' Rape Scene
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Kevin Costner, Horizon Series Inc., and 10 "does," are being sued by a stunt woman accusing Costner of directing a "violent unscripted, unscheduled rape scene" during the filming of Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2.
The stunt woman, Devyn LaBella, has accused Costner, his company Horizon Series Inc., which finances his Horizon films, and other defendants of sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, hostile work environment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and five other complaints.
Costner's lawyer, Marty Singer, has referred to the lawsuit as a "shakedown," according to Deadline.
Newsweek reached out to Singer and LaBella's legal team via email for comment.
The Context
LaBella has said the impact of Costner's alleged actions has been "profound" and that she is left with "permanent trauma that she will be required to address for years to come."
Her filing states that she is suing not only for herself but to "address the continued failures at the highest levels of Hollywood production companies to comprehend and address the impacts of performing in sexually explicit and violent 'scenes' and the need for intimacy coordination."
This is the second lawsuit filed against Horizon Series Inc., as New Line Cinema is suing the company over breaches in their co-financing agreement.
Kevin Costner attends the premiere of "Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2" at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on February 7, 2025
Kevin Costner attends the premiere of "Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2" at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on February 7, 2025
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
What To Know
In 2023, LaBella was working on Horizon 2 as the lead stunt double for actress Ella Hunt, who plays Juliette Chesney, a British schoolteacher searching for a new life in America.
LaBella and Hunt are members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), and LaBella's SAG agreement contains "specific contractual obligations relating to any nude and intimate scenes to be performed by Ms. LaBella," per the suit.
Hunt's contract stipulates that she is entitled to have an intimacy coordinator present during filming of intimate scenes. This extends to LaBella, who is a third-party beneficiary of this stipulation as her stunt double.
According to LaBella's suit, SAG-AFTRA contracts also prohibit the introduction of a last-minute intimacy scene, giving actors at least 48 hours to negotiate the scene. And, intimacy scenes must be performed on a closed set.
LaBella's suit, which was filed in the LA County court of the Superior Court of California, states that she had performed one scripted rape scene for the film which was done in accordance with all SAG-AFTRA protocols, including a closed set and an intimacy coordinator.
However, she then alleges that a second, unscripted rape scene, occurred on May 2 when she was on set to film for a non-intimate scene.
According to LaBella's suit, "Ms. Hunt arrived for her shot as scheduled on May 2. The script only called for Juliette (Ms. Hunt) to mouth the word "No." However, when Ms. Hunt arrived, she learned that the Director, Defendant Costner, had requested that additional scenes be shot with a different male actor, Mr. Ivens, who had also been cast during pre-production in the Los Angeles area.
"In these new scenes, Mr. Ivens was to climb on top of Ms. Hunt, violently raking up her skirt. Defendant Costner, who was present on the set, specifically added this scene, which varied from the scene filmed the day before which had not involved pulling up the actor's skirt. Moreover, this revised scene is not specified in the assigned call sheet for that day," the suit says.
According to her court filings, LaBella was "completely unaware of these developments," and was caught entirely by surprise when her stand-in role suddenly turned into a simulated rape scene, with her being allegedly pinned down by a male actor performing the scene with her.
She says she was not given the requisite 48 hours to sign off on the scene, the set was not closed, and there was no intimacy coordinator present. Her suit is against Costner as she has accused him of directing the action.
Costner's attorney, Singer, told Deadline: "Our client Kevin Costner always wants to make sure that everyone is comfortable working on his films and takes safety on set very seriously. However, this claim by Devyn LaBella has absolutely no merit, and it is completely contradicted by her own actions – and the facts."
Singer said that LaBella was made aware of the scene prior to filming, and that the night following the scene, she was in good spirits and did not bring any complaints to the stunt coordinator. Singer has accused LaBella of making similar claims against other sets.
What People Are Saying
Devyn LaBella's lawsuit alleges: "As a proximate result of Defendants' conduct, Ms. LaBella suffered and continues to suffer damages in terms of lost wages, lost bonuses, lost benefits, and other pecuniary loss according to proof. Ms. LaBella has also suffered and will continue to suffer physical and emotional injuries, including nervousness, humiliation, depression, anguish, embarrassment, fright, shock, pain, discomfort, fatigue, and anxiety. The amount of Plaintiff's damages will be ascertained at trial."
Kevin Costner's lawyer, Marty Singer, told Deadline: "The facts are clear and we are beyond confident that Kevin will prevail."
What Happens Next
LaBella is suing for relief due to her alleged trauma and loss of wages from losing other work following the alleged incident, for a public apology, and for the defendants to submit to anti-sexual harassment and anti-sexual violence training provided by a reputable organization such as RAINN. She is also requesting a jury trial for all charges that can be brought before a jury.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual violence, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673, or contact the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) helpline via their websiterainn.org.
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