Latest news with #Horizon:AnAmericanSaga—Chapter2
AsiaOne
a day ago
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
Kevin Costner seeks to dismiss sexual harassment lawsuit brought by stuntwoman
Kevin Costner has sought to have a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by a stuntwoman dismissed. The 70-year-old actor-and-director is being sued by Devyn LaBella, who has claimed she was subjected to a "violent, unscripted, unscheduled rape scene" without notice on set in May 2023 while filming Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2, but his legal team have filed new court documents asking for the lawsuit — which accused the Bodyguard star of sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, creation of a hostile work environment, retaliation, and breach of contract — to be thrown out. In paperwork obtained by the Daily Mail, it is claimed Devyn was happy on set and even sent a grateful text to a supervisor after the shoot wrapped, as well as offering Kevin's own version of what happened during the scene in question. According to the actor's declaration, the scene was included in the script and saw Devyn in "full costume" of bike shorts and ankle-length dress lying next to actor Roger Ivens in a covered wagon. He insisted the scene only had Roger lift the hem of Devyn's dress before swinging a leg over her so that he ended up "on all fours over her". The declaration insisted: "There was no nudity, simulated sex, simulated rape, physical contact, fighting, gyrating, or any physicality other than Devyn's outer dress being pushed from her ankles to her knees. "While Devyn's outer dress may have bunched up around her knees (there was a lot of fabric), the dress was still below her waist and the pantaloons and petticoats underneath remained undisturbed." The Yellowstone actor insisted the scene had been blocked ahead of time with the participation of the performer, who "understood what was to happen and consented to help". In the filing, Kevin — who directed, co-wrote, produced and starred in Horizon — included declarations from other members of the cast and crew to support his version of events. And he alleged Devyn had texted a supervisor after filming and said: "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 too. Have a great rest of the shoot and yes talk soon!" The stuntwoman's team first filed the lawsuit against Costner and Horizon producers in May, and weeks later filed an amended complaint including text messages with the movie's intimacy coordinator, and the alleged emotions she felt after the scene. In response, Kevin's lawyer Marty Singer told in a statement: "Ms LaBella was doing a rehearsal on an Insert Shot for a scripted scene. There was no intimacy or anything sexual in the shot. "There was tugging on a dress while she was fully clothed in a dress with long bloomers lying down next to a male actor." The lawyer has also alleged that LaBella — who was a stunt double for series star Ella Hunt — thanked her supervisor for "these wonderful weeks" after finishing work on the Western saga. Singer continued: "Numerous witnesses have contradicted Ms LaBella's meritless claims. "She herself texted her supervisor after she wrapped stating, 'Thank you for these wonderful weeks.' "We look forward to the swift end of this specious lawsuit." Court documents stated Devyn was hired as a stunt double and not informed or consented to the added scene, which she alleges caused "permanent trauma". She also claimed the absence of an intimacy coordinator during filming. Her suit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, states the scene was not on the call sheet and Ella herself refused to perform it, allegedly walking off set. She added Kevin directed Roger to perform the assault scene and asked her to stand in without adequate preparation or safeguards. Kevin's attorney Marty Singer denied the allegations, calling her a "serial accuser" and accusing her of "shakedown tactics". He stated: "Kevin always wants to make sure that everyone is comfortable working on his films and takes safety on set very seriously." He also said Devyn had approved and rehearsed a prior intimate scene and was "in good spirits" afterwards. [[nid:721354]]
AsiaOne
a day ago
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
Kevin Costner seeks to dismiss sexual harassment lawsuit brought by stuntwoman, Entertainment News
Kevin Costner has sought to have a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by a stuntwoman dismissed. The 70-year-old actor-and-director is being sued by Devyn LaBella, who has claimed she was subjected to a "violent, unscripted, unscheduled rape scene" without notice on set in May 2023 while filming Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2, but his legal team have filed new court documents asking for the lawsuit — which accused the Bodyguard star of sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, creation of a hostile work environment, retaliation, and breach of contract — to be thrown out. In paperwork obtained by the Daily Mail, it is claimed Devyn was happy on set and even sent a grateful text to a supervisor after the shoot wrapped, as well as offering Kevin's own version of what happened during the scene in question. According to the actor's declaration, the scene was included in the script and saw Devyn in "full costume" of bike shorts and ankle-length dress lying next to actor Roger Ivens in a covered wagon. He insisted the scene only had Roger lift the hem of Devyn's dress before swinging a leg over her so that he ended up "on all fours over her". The declaration insisted: "There was no nudity, simulated sex, simulated rape, physical contact, fighting, gyrating, or any physicality other than Devyn's outer dress being pushed from her ankles to her knees. "While Devyn's outer dress may have bunched up around her knees (there was a lot of fabric), the dress was still below her waist and the pantaloons and petticoats underneath remained undisturbed." The Yellowstone actor insisted the scene had been blocked ahead of time with the participation of the performer, who "understood what was to happen and consented to help". In the filing, Kevin — who directed, co-wrote, produced and starred in Horizon — included declarations from other members of the cast and crew to support his version of events. And he alleged Devyn had texted a supervisor after filming and said: "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 too. Have a great rest of the shoot and yes talk soon!" The stuntwoman's team first filed the lawsuit against Costner and Horizon producers in May, and weeks later filed an amended complaint including text messages with the movie's intimacy coordinator, and the alleged emotions she felt after the scene. In response, Kevin's lawyer Marty Singer told in a statement: "Ms LaBella was doing a rehearsal on an Insert Shot for a scripted scene. There was no intimacy or anything sexual in the shot. "There was tugging on a dress while she was fully clothed in a dress with long bloomers lying down next to a male actor." The lawyer has also alleged that LaBella — who was a stunt double for series star Ella Hunt — thanked her supervisor for "these wonderful weeks" after finishing work on the Western saga. Singer continued: "Numerous witnesses have contradicted Ms LaBella's meritless claims. "She herself texted her supervisor after she wrapped stating, 'Thank you for these wonderful weeks.' "We look forward to the swift end of this specious lawsuit." Court documents stated Devyn was hired as a stunt double and not informed or consented to the added scene, which she alleges caused "permanent trauma". She also claimed the absence of an intimacy coordinator during filming. Her suit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, states the scene was not on the call sheet and Ella herself refused to perform it, allegedly walking off set. She added Kevin directed Roger to perform the assault scene and asked her to stand in without adequate preparation or safeguards. Kevin's attorney Marty Singer denied the allegations, calling her a "serial accuser" and accusing her of "shakedown tactics". He stated: "Kevin always wants to make sure that everyone is comfortable working on his films and takes safety on set very seriously." He also said Devyn had approved and rehearsed a prior intimate scene and was "in good spirits" afterwards. [[nid:721354]]
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Legal Trouble Is on the Horizon for Kevin Costner Following Stunt Performer's Lawsuit
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." 1955–present A stunt performer has sued Kevin Costner over an alleged unscripted rape scene in the 2024 western Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2. Devyn LaBella, the lead stunt double for star Ella Hunt, filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles court on May 27 accusing Costner, in his capacity as the movie's director, and Horizon's production companies of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment. In the lawsuit, LaBella alleges the 70-year-old director improvised a rape scene 'without proper notice, consent, preparation, or appropriate safeguard measures in place.' The scene took place between actor Roger Ivens and LaBella, who was standing in for Hunt's character Juliette. According to LaBella, Costner added the unrehearsed scene at the last minute and filmed on an open set without her consent and without the presence of a mandatory intimacy coordinator. The suit further claims she faced retaliation after reporting the 'violent' incident and wasn't called back to continue her work on the film series. Costner's attorney Marty Singer denied the allegations, telling Rolling Stone that the lawsuit had 'absolutely no merit.' Singer also said the Oscar winner 'always wants to make sure that everyone is comfortable working on his films and takes safety on set very seriously.' Award-winning actor and director Kevin Costner has starred in the movies Dances With Wolves, The Untouchables, and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, as well as the hit TV show Yellowstone. After studying at California State University, Costner broke into Hollywood and established a reputation as a lead actor in the critically acclaimed 1980s features The Untouchables, Bull Durham, and Field of Dreams. He then directed and starred in the 1990 epic film Dances With Wolves, which won seven Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director. Although Costner has largely worked in film, his television roles have been memorable. He won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his performance in the 2012 History Channel miniseries Hatfields & McCoys before starring as John Dutton in the neo-Western series Yellowstone, which ended after five seasons in 2024. FULL NAME: Kevin Michael CostnerBORN: January 18, 1955BIRTHPLACE: Lynwood, CaliforniaSPOUSES: Cindy Silva (1978-1994) and Christine Baumgartner (2004-2024)CHILDREN: Annie, Lily, Joe, Liam, Cayden, Hayes, and GraceASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Capricorn Kevin Michael Costner was born on January 18, 1955, in Lynwood, California. He is the son of a power company employee, and his father's job necessitated a number of moves during Costner's youth. In his high school years, Costner struggled with insecurities because of his short stature. He hadn't yet hit his major growth spurt and has said he was between 5-foot-2 and 5-foot-4. Eventually, he did grow and now stands around 6 feet, 1 inch. Costner attended California State University in Fullerton, where he studied marketing. During college, he developed an interest in acting and decided to pursue the craft professional after graduating in 1978. Costner spent years as a struggling performer in the late 1970s. He sometimes worked as a carpenter and also had a behind-the-scenes job as a gofer for Raleigh Studios for a time. Finally, he broke onto the scene and has consistently worked since the '80s. Costner is sometimes compared to such screen legends as Gary Cooper and Jimmy Stewart. A selection of his most notable movies and TV shows are below. Costner landed a role as a suicide victim in the 1983 ensemble drama The Big Chill, with Glenn Close, Kevin Kline, William Hurt, Jeff Goldblum, and others. What looked like his first big break ended in disappointment when all of his scenes ended up on the cutting room floor. 'I rehearsed for a month with the whole cast and shot for about a week. I knew when I was shooting it that if anything would be cut it would be my scenes,' Costner later explained. But The Big Chill's director, Lawrence Kasdan, remembered Costner and later signed him for the 1985 western Silverado. The movie—which also starred Kline, Scott Glenn, and Danny Glover—proved to be a springboard to other opportunities in Hollywood. In 1987, Costner's career really took off with two hit films. He starred with Sean Young in the popular thriller No Way Out and played the legendary crime fighter Eliot Ness in The Untouchables, with Sean Connery and Robert De Niro. Untouchables director Brian De Palma praised Costner's work on the movie, saying that 'he can take those old western lawman lines and make them real.' Continuing his winning streak, Costner starred in the baseball romantic comedy Bull Durham (1988), with Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins. With 1989's Field of Dreams, Costner again won over audiences with his everyman appeal. He played a farmer who creates a baseball diamond on his land on the instruction of a voice he hears. The fantastical yet heartfelt film did well both critically and commercially. Costner, now an established box office star, got the green light to work on his directorial debut, Dances with Wolves. The movie, based on the Michael Black novel of the same name, followed a Civil War soldier who befriends a tribe of Sioux Indians. The film's production was a labor of love with shooting stretching out over 18 months, five of which were spent on location in South Dakota. In addition to directing and producing, Costner also starred in the lead role of Lieutenant Dunbar. When Dances with Wolves arrived to theaters in November 1990, it was incredibly well received. The movie sold north of $184 million in tickets worldwide, making it the third highest-grossing release of the year behind Home Alone and Ghost. Critics loved it, too. The movie garnered a whopping 12 Academy Award nominations, including nods for Costner's acting and directing. On Oscars night, Costner accepted two of the film's trophies, for Best Picture and Best Director. Costner continued to enjoy box office success with the adventure tale Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) and the romantic drama The Bodyguard (1992) with Whitney Houston. But Costner soon ran into a series of disappointments. While earning kudos from critics, his film with Clint Eastwood, A Perfect World (1993), failed to make much an impression on moviegoers. Then, his turn as the famous western icon in Wyatt Earp (1994) received mixed reviews and did mediocre business at the box office. Working as its star and producer, Costner faced a tremendous amount of challenges with the post-apocalyptic film Waterworld (1995). This futuristic tale of a nearly landless Earth had problems from the start. Filming largely took place on the open ocean on specially built platforms, one of which sank but was subsequently recovered. The cast and crew also battled seasickness and the elements, which sometimes delayed the production. The movie, which also starred Dennis Hopper and Jeanne Tripplehorn, opened strong with a $21 million first weekend, but it soon lost steam at the box office. It also received a tepid reception from critics. Undaunted, Costner worked on another futuristic epic, The Postman (1997). He played the title character, a man who pretends to be a letter carrier in a post-Apocalyptic America fractured by nuclear war. His charade brings hope to an isolated community. Some critics called The Postman the worst film of the year, while others noted that it was 'a misfire' and 'way too long, too pretentious and too self-indulgent.' After The Postman, Costner's star power seemed to fade somewhat. He didn't help his reputation by getting into a very public dispute with Universal over edits made to his next baseball film, For the Love of Game (1998). However, the actor showed that he still could give an impressive performance with Thirteen Days (2000), a true-life drama about the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Remaining busy into the new millennium, Costner starred in the heist film 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001) and in the 2005 romantic comedies The Upside of Anger and Rumor Has It... with Jennifer Aniston and Shirley MacLaine. Following the 2008 election comedy Swing Vote, he appeared in the 2010 drama The Company Men, with Chris Cooper, Ben Affleck, and Tommy Lee Jones. In 2012, Costner tackled a juicy role on the small screen, starring in and producing the History Channel miniseries Hatfields & McCoys as Devil Anse Hatfield, the leader of a famous feuding family. His nemesis, Randall McCoy, was played by Bill Paxton. Hatfields & McCoys earned Emmy and Globe Globe nominations as one of the best shows of the year, and Costner left both ceremonies with awards for best actor in a miniseries. A busy 2014 had Costner appearing in Man of Steel as Superman's adoptive Earth father—a role he reprised for 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice—as well as in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, 3 Days to Kill, Draft Day, and Black or White. After starring as coach Jim White in the inspirational sports drama McFarland, USA (2015), he had prominent supporting roles in Hidden Figures (2016) and Molly's Game (2017). Beginning in 2018, Costner found more success on the small screen with the Paramount series Yellowstone. The drama had the veteran actor starring as John Dutton, owner of a sprawling ranch, with a cast that included Kelly Reilly, Luke Grimes, and Wes Bentley as his children. For his performance, Costner won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a TV Drama in 2023. Despite the show's success, Costner became embroiled in drama behind-the-scenes. In August 2023, he spoke out about his lengthy dispute with Paramount over finances, claiming in his divorce proceedings that the network owed him $12 million in wages. It was later reported that he was also in a feud with series creator Taylor Sheridan. 'I made Yellowstone the first priority, and to insinuate anything else would be wrong,' Costner told Deadline in May 2024. 'I don't know why they didn't stick up for me.' The turmoil led the actor to exit the show early before it abruptly ended in its fifth season in December 2024. Costner starred in Netflix's The Highwaymen (2019) as Frank Hamer, the former Texas Ranger who spearheaded the successful hunt of the infamous crime duo of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. He then went in a different direction after years of leading man roles, voicing the character of Enzo the dog in The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019). Costner's latest major production has been Horizon: An American Saga. He directs and stars in the Western epic, initially slated to encompass four films. Chapter 1 arrived in 2024 to mixed reviews and disappointing box office numbers. Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2 released just months and fared worse. The movies' poor performances have put the future films in jeopardy, though Costner has promised 'to go as far as my money takes me.' He has reportedly invested around $100 million of his own money. The third Horizon film is in production. Then, in May 2025, a stunt performer who worked on Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2 filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Costner and the film's production companies over an unscripted rape scene. In the lawsuit, Ella Hunt's stunt double Devyn LaBella accused him of improvising an unscheduled and unrehearsed rape scene without her consent and without a mandatory intimacy coordinator on set. Costner's attorney denied the allegations. In 2005, Costner turned to one of his other passions: music. He started working with a country rock band called Modern West. They released their first album, Untold Truths, in 2008, and followed with 2010's Turn It On and 2011's From Where I Stand. In 2012, the group put out Famous for Killing Each Other: Music from and Inspired By Hatfields & McCoys. Kevin Costner & Modern West has since released the tracks 'Alive in the City' (2014) and 'Love Shine' (2017). Costner has been married and divorced twice. Most recently, the actor was married to Christine Baumgartner from 2004 until February 2024. Together, they share three children: Cayden, Hayes, and Grace. Costner also has three children—Annie, Lily, and Joe—from his first marriage to Cindy Silva. Additionally, he has a son, Liam, from his relationship with socialite Bridget Rooney. In everything he does, Costner seems to be listening to his own counsel, not following any typical Hollywood playbook. 'You've got to blaze your own trail or you're just going to feed at the trough,' he once explained. 'Feeding at the trough can get you pretty fat. But I choose to go my own way.' Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! You Might Also Like Nicole Richie's Surprising Adoption Story The Story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Her Mother Queen Camilla's Life in Photos
Global News
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Global News
Kevin Costner sued by ‘Horizon' stunt double over ‘unscripted' rape scene
Actor Kevin Costner and producers of his film Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2 are being sued by one of the movie's stunt performers over allegations that she was forced to perform a violent, unscripted rape scene without consent or prior warning. Devyn Labella, the lead stunt double for Ella Hunt, who plays a character named Juliette in the Horizon franchise — a four-part western series written and directed by Costner, who also stars in the movie — filed a lawsuit in California on Tuesday. View image in full screen Kevin Costner on the red carpet for 'Horizon: An American Saga' at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 19, 2024, in Cannes, France. Gisela Schober / Getty Images She is claiming that on May 2, 2023, Costner made her partake in an improvised rape scene the day after Hunt and LaBella had shot a scripted scene also depicting rape by a different character. Story continues below advertisement Hunt declined to film the unscripted scene, according to the filing. Consequently, LaBella was called to fill in, unaware that Hunt had refused to participate and vacated the set. The lawsuit alleges that LaBella was not given prior warning that a new male actor in the impromptu scene had been instructed to 'climb on top of Ms. Hunt (LaBella)' and 'violently' pull up her skirt. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy '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,' lawyers for the plaintiff argued. View image in full screen Left to right: Isabelle Fuhrman, Ella Hunt, Kevin Costner, Sienna Miller and Abbey Lee Kershaw attend the 'Horizon: An American Saga' photocall at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 19, 2024, in Cannes, France. Stephane Cardinale - Corbis / Getty Images According to LaBella, during the filming of the scene, Costner told her to 'lay down' in a wagon while he directed the male actor to 'repeatedly perform a violent simulated rape' on her, while Costner continued to experiment with different angles and 'takes.' Story continues below advertisement The lawsuit argues that Costner violated the terms of LaBella's contract, established by her union, SAG-AFTRA, which requires all performers to consent to participating in scenes simulating sex or involving nudity and to receive 48 hours' notice ahead of filming sequences of that nature. LaBella says she was not given the required warning and that she did not consent, as required in her contract. She also says there was no intimacy co-ordinator present, which is compulsory under Hunt's contract, and also applied to LaBella as her stunt double. In addition, the lawsuit claims the set was not closed. It is common practice that during the filming of intimate scenes, only a skeleton crew is present. However, LaBella claims that 'the scene was broadcast publicly on monitors for the entire crew to witness … anyone could walk by and observe the scene being performed.' It also states that, unlike the unscripted rape scene, the scripted one filmed the day prior was rehearsed and overseen by an intimacy co-ordinator on a closed set, as stipulated in her contract. LaBella is seeking damages for sexual harassment, a hostile work environment and breach of contract. She claims to have been left in the wagon alone after the scene wrapped, saying that she felt 'shock, embarrassment, and humiliation while attempting to process the situation,' and that she was 'holding back tears.' Story continues below advertisement LaBella was required to continue working on another scene afterward, despite her 'terrified' feelings, her lawyers say. In a statement to Variety, Costner's lawyer, Marty Singer, denied the allegations, saying his client 'always wants to make sure that everyone is comfortable working on his films and takes safety on set very seriously,' adding that LaBella's claim has 'absolutely no merit, and it is completely contradicted by her own actions — and the facts.' 'Ms. LaBella is a serial accuser of people in the entertainment industry and has worked with the same lawyer on past claims. But those shakedown tactics won't work in this case,' he continued. Costner argues that LaBella was briefed on the scene and allowed to rehearse it before giving a 'thumbs up' to her stunt co-ordinator, which, according to his lawyers, indicated her willingness to participate if she was needed, which she was not, Costner says. Instead, he says LaBella attended a dinner with the stunt co-ordinators, was in 'good spirits' and made 'no complaints to them.' According to the lawsuit, LaBella was not rehired for the filming of the third installment and has not been called back to work with the stunt co-ordinators on any other projects despite having worked with them on multiple projects before.
Hindustan Times
28-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Man rapes 5-year-old in Agra temple, arrested; probe underway
A five-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a man inside a temple in Jagdishpura area of Agra, police said on Wednesday, adding that the accused has been arrested. Also Read: Police have arrested the man and a further investigation is underway. The incident took place on May 18 when the girl was playing near the temple. The accused, Pavitra, is alleged to have taken her inside the temple and raped her. Also Read: Kevin Costner sued by stuntwoman over filming 'violent' rape scene in Horizon: An American Saga—Chapter 2 Agra police commissionerate said in a post on X that the incident took in the Jagdishpura area and the accused has been arrested. Also Read: Head of Math in Karnataka's Belagavi arrested for allegedly raping a minor girl "We have zero tolerance in cases of crime against women especially children. A detailed probe is on in the matter," it said. UP state women commission chief Babita Chauhan on Wednesday met the girl and also visited the temple. She also took information about the case from the police and said that the case will be tried in the fast track court.
