Latest news with #KevinCostner
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
The country that made smoking sexy is breaking up with cigarettes
PARIS -- PARIS (AP) — Brigitte Bardot lounged barefoot on a Saint-Tropez beach, drawing languorous puffs from her cigarette. Another actor, Jean-Paul Belmondo, swaggered down the Champs-Élysées with smoke curling from his defiant lips, capturing a generation's restless rebellion. In France, cigarettes were never just cigarettes — they were cinematic statements, flirtations and rebellions wrapped in rolling paper. Yet beginning July 1, if Bardot and Belmondo's iconic film scenes were repeated in real life, they would be subject to up to €135 ($153) in fines. After glamorizing tobacco for decades, France is preparing for its most sweeping smoking ban yet. The new restrictions, announced by Health Minister Catherine Vautrin, will outlaw smoking in virtually all outdoor public areas where children may gather, including beaches, parks, gardens, playgrounds, sports venues, school entrances and bus stops. 'Tobacco must disappear where there are children,' Vautrin told French media. The freedom to smoke 'stops where children's right to breathe clean air starts." France will ban smoking on all beaches, in public parks, forests and some other public areas as part of a national anti-tobacco plan presented by the health minister on Tuesday. Tobacco products cause 75,000 avoidable deaths a year in France, Minister of Health and Prevention Aurélien Rousseau said on BFM television. The government will introduce legislation at the start of next year to enlarge the scope of places where fines can be levied for smoking, he said. 'Beaches, parks, around schools -– lots of places had started these experiments and now, it's true, we're heading to a general rule to show our determination,' he said. Legislators also intend to outlaw single-use disposable e-cigarettes, with an initial vote on a draft law to ban them expected in the National Assembly next month. Stunt performer sues Kevin Costner over his direction of a rape scene in his film series 'Horizon' A stunt performer is suing Kevin Costner, saying she was compelled to perform in an unscripted rape scene in a film he was directing that broke Hollywood production rules and left her traumatized. AP News California track-and-field final enters spotlight for rule change after trans athlete's success The California high school track-and-field championship is set to begin Friday amid a controversy over the participation of a transgender female athlete. AP News Mensualités: Bonne nouvelle pour les propriétaires étouffés par les crédits Bons plans propriétaires Advertisement: L'arnaque du solaire : 90% des Français l'ignore, et vous ? France Éco Infos Advertisement: 11 pathologies vous donnant le droit à une cure thermale Chaine Thermale Advertisement: Qui était Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina, décédé alors que le Festival de Cannes lui rendait hommage ? 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AP News Trouvez vos photos de classe parmi + de 250 000 photos! Advertisement: Pourquoi les amoureux des chats adorent cette lampe unique Sherum Advertisement: "Le patient voit quelque chose" : que ressent-on au moment de mourir ? Ces chercheurs pensent avoir trouvé la réponse Femme Actuelle Advertisement: Taylor Swift has regained control of her music, buys back first 6 albums Taylor Swift says she's has regained control over her entire body of work. In a lengthy note posted to her official website on Friday, Swift announced that all the music she's ever made now belongs to her. AP News Movie Review: Wes Anderson's 'Phoenician Scheme' is as Wes Anderson as a Wes Anderson film can be Wes Anderson has always been Wes Anderson, but with 'The Phoenician Scheme' he somehow seems more Wes Anderson than ever before. AP News 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Advertisement: Une fois la guerre en Ukraine apaisée, la Russie pourrait ouvrir un autre front en Europe GEO Advertisement: Virginie Efira, Jodie Foster, Scarlett Johansson... Pluie de stars à Cannes pour la montée des marches du film Vie Privée de Rebecca Zlotowski Tele-loisirs Advertisement: Most read Shira Perlmutter, Register of Copyrights and Director of the U.S. Copyright Office, testifies during a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property oversight hearing of the United States Copyright Office, Nov. 13, 2024, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, file) Judge refuses to temporarily block the Trump administration from removing Copyright Office director White House acknowledges problems in RFK Jr.'s 'Make America Healthy Again' report Patriots say they will handle video of receiver Stefon Diggs internally Trump has long warned of a government 'deep state.' Now in power, he's under pressure to expose it Paul Maurice, Rod Brind'Amour skipped player handshakes after East final. It was for a good reason The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world's population sees AP journalism every day. The Associated Press Careers Advertise with us Contact Us Accessibility Statement Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information Limit Use and Disclosure of Sensitive Personal Information CA Notice of Collection More From AP News About AP News Values and Principles AP's Role in Elections AP Leads AP Definitive Source Blog AP Images Spotlight Blog AP Stylebook Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. twitter instagram facebook notification icon">public health priorities, it also signals a deeper cultural shift. Smoking has defined identity, fashion and cinema here for so long that the new measure feels like a quiet French revolution in a country whose relationship with tobacco is famously complex. According to France's League Against Cancer, over 90 percent of French films from 2015 to 2019 featured smoking scenes — more than double the rate in Hollywood productions. Each French movie averaged nearly three minutes of on-screen smoking, effectively the same exposure as six 30-second television ads. Cinema has been particularly influential. Belmondo's rebellious smoker in Jean-Luc Godard 's 'Breathless' became shorthand for youthful defiance worldwide. Bardot's cigarette smoke wafted through 'And God Created Woman,' symbolizing unbridled sensuality. Yet this glamorization has consequences. According to France's public health authorities, around 75,000 people die from tobacco-related illnesses each year. Although smoking rates have dipped recently — fewer than 25% of French adults now smoke daily, a historic low — the habit remains stubbornly embedded, especially among young people and the urban chic. France's relationship with tobacco has long been fraught with contradiction. Air France did not ban smoking on all its flights until 2000, years after major U.S. carriers began phasing it out in the late 1980s and early '90s. The delay reflected a country slower to sever its cultural romance with cigarettes, even at 35,000 feet. Strolling through the stylish streets of Le Marais, the trendiest neighborhood in Paris, reactions to the smoking ban ranged from pragmatic acceptance to nostalgic defiance. 'It's about time. I don't want my kids growing up thinking smoke is romantic,' said Clémence Laurent, a 34-year-old fashion buyer, sipping espresso at a crowded café terrace. 'Sure, Bardot made cigarettes seem glamorous. But Bardot didn't worry about today's warnings on lung cancer.' At a nearby boutique, vintage dealer Luc Baudry, 53, saw the ban as an attack on something essentially French. 'Smoking has always been part of our culture. Take away cigarettes and what do we have left? Kale smoothies?' he scoffed. Across from him, 72-year-old Jeanne Lévy chuckled throatily, her voice deeply etched — she said — by decades of Gauloises. 'I smoked my first cigarette watching Jeanne Moreau,' she confessed, eyes twinkling behind vintage sunglasses. 'It was her voice — smoky, sexy, lived-in. Who didn't want that voice?' Indeed, Jeanne Moreau's gravelly, nicotine-scraped voice transformed tobacco into poetry itself, immortalized in classics such as François Truffaut's 'Jules et Jim.' Smoking acquired an existential glamour that made quitting unimaginable for generations of French smokers. France's new law mirrors broader European trends. Britain, Spain and Sweden have all implemented significant smoking bans in public spaces. Sweden outlawed smoking in outdoor restaurant terraces, bus stops and schoolyards back in 2019. Spain extended its bans to café terraces, spaces still exempt in France—at least for now. an electronic cigarette that is still exempt from the new ban and shrugged.
Epoch Times
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Epoch Times
Kevin Costner Sued by ‘Horizon 2' Stunt Performer Over Alleged Unscripted Rape Scene
A female stunt performer has sued Kevin Costner over claims she was required to participate in a 'violent unscripted, unscheduled rape scene' while filming the second installment of the award-winning actor's four-part Western movie series, 'Horizon: An American Saga.' Devyn LaBella filed the lawsuit in the Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday, accusing Costner and the film's production companies of a host of complaints, including sexual discrimination and harassment, creating a hostile work environment, intentionally inflicting emotional distress, and breach of contract.
Screen Geek
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Screen Geek
Kevin Costner Sued By Stunt Performer Over Unscripted 'Horizon 2' Rape Scene
Celebrity Kevin Costner is one of the biggest individuals behind the Horizon: An American Saga film series. He is attached to the films as star, co-writer, producer, and director. Now Kevin Costner is being sued by a stunt performer over an unscripted rape scene featured in Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 . As shared via THR, stunt performer Devyn LaBella worked on the film in May 2023. She participated in the second film of the series with the intention of filling in for what the outlet refers to as 'basic, fairly boring shots.' This was allegedly not the case, however. According to the outlet: 'Instead, she says, she was surprised by being subjected to an unscripted, brutal rape scene without proper notice, consent or the presence of a contractually mandated intimacy coordinator.' Due to this situation, 'LaBella is suing Costner and the film's production companies for sexual discrimination, harassment and the creation of a hostile work environment. Moreover, the complaint alleges LaBella faced retaliation after she reported the incident by not being called back for subsequent work on the Horizon series and never being hired again by the film's stunt coordinator, with whom she had worked previously.' LaBella also issued the following statement to the outlet to emphasize how 'deeply betrayed' she feels and that it has 'forever changed' her career: 'On that day, 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.' An opposing statement was released by Costner's attorney, Marty Singer, who claims that Costner 'always wants to make sure that everyone is comfortable working on his films and takes safety on set very seriously.' Singer also adds that LaBella's lawsuit has 'absolutely no merit' and that it's 'completely contradicted' by her 'own actions – and the facts.' The production had LaBella operate as the stunt double for actress Ella Hunt. Hunt's role was known to include sexual violence, and furthermore, the outlet adds that she 'negotiated a mandatory intimacy coordinator on all nude or intimate scenes,' which is a negotiation that would also apply to LaBella. As such, a scripted rape scene shot on May 1 'went by the book,' in which 'LaBella performed the more physical, rough aspects of the action,' all of which 'was detailed on the day's call sheet, rehearsed with a stunt coordinator and an intimacy coordinator, later monitored by that intimacy coordinator, took place on a closed set and was structured such that performers got breaks in between shots.' While these appear to be ideal working conditions for such a scene, that was allegedly not the case the following day. As summarized by the outlet: 'But rules were allegedly thrown out the window the next day, when LaBella showed up on set to double for two non-intimate sequences and was asked by Costner to stand in for Hunt for a shot. Unbeknownst to LaBella, the complaint claims, Hunt had just walked off of the set, 'visibly upset,' after Costner told her he had just added an impromptu scene of sexual violence perpetuated by a different character than the previous day's scene.' The outlet continues: 'LaBella, instructed to lay down on a wagon, allegedly only found out that this was a rape scene after Costner called for actor Roger Ivens to simulate nonconsensual sex on top of her: 'Mr. Ivens violently rustled Ms. LaBella's skirt up as if trying to penetrate her against her will' while pinning her down per the director's orders, the complaint states. No notice had been given, the scene had not been rehearsed, no intimacy coordinator was on set and all of the action was aired on monitors that could be viewed by the entire crew, according to the suit.' In response to these allegations, the outlet claims Singer's response is 'that this was a rehearsal without cmaeras rolling and not a filmed scene itself.' Additionally, he claims that the stunt coordinators for the film were present, and that LaBella reacted after the rehearsal by giving 'her stunt coordinator a 'thumbs up' and indicated her willingness to then shoot the scene, if needed.' However, the scene was ultimately shot with a stand-in performer instead of LaBella. During the rehearsal, Costner never called 'action' or 'cut' in a consistent manner, and so LaBella was confused in the moment. 'Mr. Ivens never separated from Ms. LaBella,' the suit claims. The suit also claims that she was not properly prepared by the wardrobe department for when her undergarments would be exposed, something that occurred when Ivens was directed by Costner. After, LaBella claims to have been 'terrified' and complained to different stunt coordinators and the film's intimacy coordinator. While she received some apologies, she was otherwise made to stay inside her trailer, 'fully costumed' but 'not used on set for several days.' While Singer insists she showed gratitude for working on the film when production wrapped, including her decision to take stunt coordinator Wade Allen to dinner as a 'thank-you,' LaBella insists that her career has come to an 'abrupt halt' ever since the incident occurred. As such, we'll have to see how this situation continues. It certainly adds another complicated layer for Kevin Costner and his attempts at making Horizon: An American Saga a major success. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates as we have them.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
'Horizon 2' stunt double sues Kevin Costner for unscripted rape sequence
A stunt performer has filed a lawsuit against actor-filmmaker Kevin Costner, claiming she was compelled to enact an unscripted rape scene on the set of his film Horizon 2 without adequate safety protocols or her consent. Devyn LaBella, who served as the primary stunt performer for Ella Hunt's character, Juliette, in Costner's Horizon series, claims in her suit that the filmmaker improvised a sequence depicting the character's rape. According to the legal filing, Hunt declined to do the scene. LaBella's lawsuit asserts that she was then brought to the project as a replacement without prior warning consent. Crucially, she alleges, an intimacy coordinator was not present during the filming of the scene. The set, LaBella claims, was not even closed off to others at the time of filming the scene. LaBella's complaint states the experience left her feeling humiliation and trauma. In a personal statement, she expressed profound distress. 'On that day, I was left exposed, unprotected, and deeply betrayed by a system that promised safety and professionalism. What happened to me shattered my trust and forever changed how I move through this industry,' it states. As per the lawsuit, the incident breached protocols that SAG-AFTRA established; the labour union mandates 48 hours' notice and consent for sequences involving simulated sex or nudity. The alleged incident occurred on May 02, 2023, during filming in Utah. Notably, LaBella had enacted a separate, scripted rape sequence the day prior, which her suit claims was handled professionally. That scene, according to the lawsuit, happened at a closed set with rehearsals and the presence of an intimacy coordinator. Kate McFarlane, LaBella's attorney, characterised the situation as indicative of broader industry issues: 'This case is a clear example of male-dominated, sexist Hollywood movie production. Our client was subjected to brutal sexual conduct completely unprotected from the obvious harm.' Through Marty Singer, his attorney, Kevin Costner has vehemently refuted the allegations. Singer issued a statement asserting that Costner 'always wants to make sure that everyone is comfortable working on his films and takes safety on set very seriously.'
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Stunt double sues Kevin Costner over forced, unscripted rape scene on ‘Horizon 2'
LOS ANGELES, May 30 — A stunt performer on Horizon 2 filed a lawsuit against Kevin Costner on Tuesday, alleging she was compelled to participate in an unplanned rape scene that lacked standard safety measures and consent protocols. As reported by Variety, Devyn LaBella, who served as the lead stunt double for actress Ella Hunt — portraying the character Juliette — claims that Costner, the director, introduced an improvised scene in which Juliette would be assaulted. According to the lawsuit, Hunt declined to take part, prompting producers to substitute LaBella with little notice or explanation. The complaint asserts that LaBella was made to perform the scene without prior briefing, consent, or the supervision of an intimacy coordinator. It further alleges that the male actor involved was directed to simulate physical aggression, including pinning LaBella down and forcefully lifting her skirt, all while the set remained open and unregulated. The complaint states that LaBella was left feeling humiliated and traumatised by the ordeal. 'On that day, I was left exposed, unprotected, and deeply betrayed by a system that promised safety and professionalism,' LaBella was quoted as saying in a statement. 'What happened to me shattered my trust and forever changed how I move through this industry.' The lawsuit claims the scene breached SAG-AFTRA guidelines, which require at least 48 hours' notice and explicit consent for any nudity or simulated sex. The incident reportedly occurred on May 2, 2023, during filming in Utah. In a statement to the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday, Costner's attorney, Martin Singer, has strongly denied the allegations made by LaBella, calling the claims completely 'without merit' and contradicted by LaBella's own behaviour and the facts. Singer labelled LaBella a 'serial accuser' in the entertainment industry and accused her and her legal team of using 'shakedown tactics'. He stated that the disputed scene was explained to LaBella, who rehearsed it and indicated her willingness to perform it if needed, though she ultimately did not have to shoot it. According to publication, LaBella's representatives had not responded to requests for comment.
