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Los Angeles Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Kevin Costner sued by ‘Horizon' Chapter 2 stunt performer over unscripted rape scene
A stunt performer is suing Kevin Costner, his company Horizon Series Inc. and his Territory Pictures production company over what she says was a 'violent unscripted, unscheduled' rape scene that she was roped into without notice and an intimacy coordinator present. Costner's attorney called the lawsuit a 'shakedown.' The effect of the 'impromptu work demand' on stunt performer Devyn LaBella 'has been profound,' the lawsuit says, 'not only upending a career Ms. LaBella spent years building but leaving her with permanent trauma that she will be required to address for years to come.' At the core of the lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, is the allegation that a day after filming a scripted, planned rape scene where LaBella was the stunt performer and occasional stand-in for actor Ella Hunt and an intimacy coordinator was present, Costner added an unplanned and unscripted rape scene with a different male actor. 'There was no escaping the situation, and all Ms. LaBella could do was wait for the nightmare to end,' the lawsuit says. '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,' Costner's attorney Martin Singer said Wednesday in a statement to The Times, adding that he was confident his client would prevail. Singer described LaBella — who worked on the film in April and May 2023 — as a 'serial accuser of people in the entertainment industry' and alleged she and her attorneys had used what he called 'shakedown tactics.' 'As a stunt performer on Horizon 2, the scene in question was explained to Ms. LaBella, and after she performed the rehearsal in character with another actor, she gave her Stunt Coordinator supervisor a 'thumbs up' and indicated her willingness to then shoot the scene, if needed (which she was not).' Singer also provided a text message sent from LaBella to stunt coordinator Wade Allen after her work on the film wrapped. 'Thank you for these wonderful weeks! I so appreciate you! I learned so much and thank you again,' she wrote. 'I'm really happy it worked out the way it did.... Have a great rest of the shoot and yes talk soon!' A representative for LaBella did not respond immediately on Wednesday to The Times' request for comment. The lawsuit accuses Costner of sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, creation of a hostile work environment, retaliation, breach of contract and more. No intimacy coordinator was there for the unplanned rape scene, the lawsuit says, when LaBella expected to be doubling for Hunt in a 'non-intimate' scene. LaBella was not told that Hunt had refused to do the scene and had walked off the set, the lawsuit says, and 'was not warned or prepared for [scene partner Roger 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.' Once filming began, LaBella was unclear about when the action began and ended and got no 'time or space' to consent to or reject Costner's direction of the scene, the lawsuit says. Between takes, Ivens laid on his side within a foot of LaBella's face with his hand 'resting above her vagina,' the filing says. The lawsuit says that in the days that followed rehearsal of the second rape scene, LaBella frequently found herself in tears and wound up going home to Los Angeles from Utah for a few days to gather herself. Upon her return to the set, the filing says, 'The production team was now extra careful around Ms. LaBella. She was directed to stay alone in her trailer and not be present on set,' which heightened her discomfort. In June 2023, the lawsuit says, the stunt performer began therapy to deal with 'intrusive distressing memories of the traumatic event, sleep disturbance, fears of intimacy, and anxiety.' LaBella says in the lawsuit that Allen has not cast her in a project since the second chapter of 'Horizon.' Her IMDb page lists no projects after 'Horizon: An American Saga,' a four-part effort by Costner that has fallen on hard times after lower-than-expected box office for the first film. The second chapter was pulled from a planned August 2024 theatrical release and has screened only at two film festivals. It is unclear whether Hunt's character appears in the third chapter of 'Horizon: An American Saga.' Hunt is not listed as a cast member on the movie, which began filming in May 2024, according to IMDbPro. Allen, who, since the Costner movie, has worked on the TV series 'Landman' and 'Lioness,' is not listed as a stunt coordinator. However, the full cast and crew list appears to be incomplete. LaBella, a former gymnast described in the lawsuit as a 'rising stunt performer,' has also done stunts on projects including the 'Barbie' movie and the streaming series 'Yellowjackets.' Stunt credits since her work on the second chapter of 'Horizon' include 'NCIS' episodes and the movie 'Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.' The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages in amounts to be determined at trial, plus costs and legal fees. It also asks that the defendants be required to 'submit to anti-sexual harassment and anti-sexual violence training provided by a reputable organization' and to apologize to LaBella.
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Kevin Costner Sued Over 'Unscripted' Rape Scene
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. 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
