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The Sun
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Kevin Costner sued by stuntwoman Devyn LaBella over ‘violent & unscripted' rape scene in new Western movie Horizon
KEVIN Costner has been accused of making a stuntwoman perform a "violent and unscripted" rape scene in his latest Western film. Devyn LaBella, 34, has sued the Hollywood star and director for allegedly instructing an actor to pin her down and simulate rape without any formal warning or a rehearsal. 7 7 7 Costner, 70, was acting as well as directing on set for the 2024 movie Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2, at the time. He has denied all the allegations. LaBella, who played the stunt double for actress Ella Hunt in Horizon, had featured in several scenes during the 2023 filming schedule. One of these included a planned sexual assault scene on May 1, the suit says. LaBella, a former gymnast, says she happily agreed to these scenes due to the proper protocol being taken both before and during filming. These including regular meetings, rehearsals, minimal crew members on set and the presence of an intimacy co-ordinator at all times. But a day later, LaBella alleges in the lawsuit that she was asked to return to set and take part in an unscripted scene involving sexual violence. Costner is accused of directing a fellow actor to pin down LaBella on a wagon before simulating rape. The lawsuit also claims Costner demanded several retakes. The scene was initiated with no warning, rehearsal or choreography, according to the stuntwoman. Kevin Costner poses with five of his children at 'really special' Horizon premiere as fans praise 'beautiful family' She also claims there was no indication of when the cameras were rolling during the scenes. A line in the suit reads: 'There was no escaping the situation, and all Ms LaBella could do was wait for the nightmare to end." The Los Angeles lawsuit also names the production companies involved as defendants as well as Costner. Kate McFarlane, the lawyer representing LaBella, described it as a 'clear example of male-dominated, sexist Hollywood movie production'. She added: 'Our client was subjected to brutal sexual conduct, completely unprotected from the obvious harm." The lawsuit also claims LaBella was met with 'continuous reminders of the shame, humiliation and complete lack of control' she had on set for the remainder of filming. This caused her to experience "sudden bouts of crying on and off set', it continued. 7 As well as denying the allegations, Marty Singer, Costner's lawyer, argued that LaBella was well informed of the scene in advance and had consented to it. Singer says LaBella did not make any complaints at the time either on set or to her supervisors afterwards. 'She continued to work on the movie for a few more weeks until her wrap date, and she took the stunt co-ordinator to a thank-you dinner," he added. LaBella has been a Hollywood stunt performer since 2020. She is now seeking damages in an amount to be determined at trial. The suit is also looking for a public apology to the stuntwoman, the defendants to undergo sexual harassment training and them to be required to use an intimacy co-ordinator on all future productions.
New York Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Kevin Costner Is Sued by ‘Horizon' Actor Over Rape Scene
A stunt double who worked on the western 'Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2' sued its director, Kevin Costner, and producers on Tuesday for what she called forced participation in a 'violent unscripted, unscheduled rape scene' without advance notice or an intimacy coordinator. The plaintiff, Devyn LaBella, who was the lead stunt double for the actress Ella Hunt, who plays Juliette, said she was left with permanent trauma after the scene and was seeking a public apology and unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. A lawyer for Mr. Costner said the claims were meritless. According to Ms. LaBella's complaint, the unscripted rape scene took place in May 2023, one day after she had filmed a similar one without incident. Mr. Costner, the suit said, inserted additional scenes to be shot with a different male actor in which he would climb on top of Ms. Hunt and violently rake up her skirt. The additions, the suit said, were not outlined in the day's call sheet and no arrangements were made for an intimacy coordinator, who works with actors before and during scenes involving nudity or simulated sex to make sure they are comfortable. 'Ms. Hunt became visibly upset and walked off the set, refusing to do the scene,' the complaint said. At that point, Ms. LaBella was asked to stand in. She had not been prepared for the scene, the suit said, and learned its details after filming had already begun. There were multiple takes of the scene, according to the lawsuit. 'Horizon 2' was the planned second installment of a four-part film series by Mr. Costner. After the first chapter, which cost $100 million to make, earned $11 million in its opening weekend, the second chapter's theatrical release was canceled. Marty Singer, Mr. Costner's lawyer, said in a statement that Ms. LaBella's claims contradicted her own actions and that she was using 'shakedown tactics' that would not work. He said the scene in question was explained to Ms. LaBella, who rehearsed it and gave an indication she was willing to film it. The lawsuit by Ms. LaBella, which was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, states that the added scene also violated her union contract, which prohibits last-minute requests for nudity or simulated sex. The union, SAG-AFTRA, requires producers to provide at least 48 hours' notice before call time to negotiate a written contract rider for simulated sex and obtain a performer's consent. A union representative did not respond to a request for comment. After that day of filming, Ms. LaBella said, she felt shame and humiliation and flew home for a few days before returning to work. Several people apologized and made excuses for Mr. Costner, the lawsuit said, which made her feel 'even more uncomfortable.' Mr. Singer's statement said that after filming had wrapped, Ms. LaBella took the stunt coordinator to a thank-you dinner. 'She also sent him a cordial thank you text illustrated with happy heart emojis,' the statement said. 'The facts are clear and we are beyond confident that Kevin will prevail.'
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Kevin Costner and Horizon producers sued by stunt performer over ‘violent unscripted' rape scene
A stunt performer is suing Kevin Costner and the producers of his film Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2, alleging that she was made to perform in a 'violent' unscripted rape scene without the required notice, consent or a mandatory intimacy coordinator present. Devyn LaBella was the lead stunt double for Ella Hunt, who plays Juliette in the Horizon films, a four-part western anthology written, directed by and starring Costner. LaBella's lawsuit, filed in California on Tuesday, alleges that on 2 May 2023 Costner improvised a scene in which Juliette would be raped, one day after Hunt and LaBella filmed a scripted scene in which Juliette was raped by a different character. Hunt refused to perform the new scene, the lawsuit alleges, and LaBella was summoned to set, without knowing that Hunt had declined and left. According to her complaint, LaBella was not warned that the new male actor had been directed to mount her, pin her down and 'violently' rake up her skirt. LaBella alleges that Costner told her to 'lay down' in a wagon before he directed the male actor 'to repeatedly perform a violent simulated rape' on her while Costner 'experimented with different takes of the rape action'. LaBella's suit alleges that the scene violated contractural protocols negotiated by the performers' union Sag-Aftra, which requires that all performers are given 48 hours notice and must consent to any scenes involving nudity or simulated sex. She claims she was not given the required notice and that she did not consent, as stipulated in her contract. She also claims the film's intimacy coordinator was not present, which was mandatory under Hunt's contract and applied to LaBella as her stand in. The lawsuit also claims the set was not closed; only a minimal crew is meant to be present for sensitive scenes involving nudity, sex or rape. LaBella's suit claims 'the scene was broadcast publicly on monitors for the entire crew to witness … anyone could walk by and observe the scene being performed.' LaBella's suit states that the scripted rape scene, filmed the day before, involved rehearsals and the presence of an intimacy coordinator, and the set was closed for the actors' privacy. LaBella is suing for damages for sexual harassment, a hostile work environment and breach of contract, claiming she immediately felt 'shock, embarrassment and humiliation' and began attending therapy in June 2023. 'I was left exposed, unprotected, and deeply betrayed by a system that promised safety and professionalism,' LaBella said. 'What happened to me shattered my trust and forever changed how I move through this industry.' Costner denied the allegations. In a statement given to Variety and Deadline, his attorney Marty Singer said the actor-director 'always wants to make sure that everyone is comfortable working on his films and takes safety on set very seriously', and said LaBella's claim has 'absolutely no merit, and it is completely contradicted by her own actions – and the facts'. Singer said the scene had been explained to LaBella, and after a rehearsal, she had given a 'thumbs up' to a stunt coordinator, indicating her consent. He also claimed LaBella had been in 'good spirits' afterwards and produced a text message that LaBella allegedly sent to the stunt coordinator after the shoot which read: '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 to. Have a great rest of the shoot and yes talk soon!' LaBella's lawsuit claims that she had complained to colleagues about the experience but, because production was still under way, she felt she 'had to continue working and keep up a professional attitude'. Costner has partly self-funded the first two Horizon films, putting up US$38m of the estimated US$100m budget. Chapter 1 was released in June 2024 but flopped at the box office, making $38.7m globally. Chapter 2 premiered at the Venice international film festival in September 2024 but a general release date is yet to be announced.
