A stunt performer has sued Kevin Costner and the production companies behind Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 over an alleged unscripted rape scene. In the lawsuit, Devyn LaBella accuses the film of not giving her notice nor asking for her consent to record, and of not including a mandatory intimacy coordinator during the scene.
LaBella is suing the production companies and Costner for sexual discrimination, harassment, and creating a hostile work environment. She also alleges that she faced retaliation after reporting the incident, as she claims she was not called back for further work on the film series, nor by the stunt coordinator who had hired her before.
“On that day, I was left exposed, unprotected, and deeply betrayed by a system that promised safety and professionalism,” LaBella told The Hollywood Reporter, which broke the news Tuesday. “What happened to me shattered my trust and forever changed how I move through this industry.”
Marty Singer, Costner’s attorney, told Rolling Stone that the lawsuit had “absolutely no merit” and is “completely contradicted by [LaBella’s] own actions — and the facts.”
“[Costner] always wants to make sure that everyone is comfortable working on his films and takes safety on set very seriously,” Singer said, including an alleged text message screenshot in which LaBella thanked the stunt coordinator for her “wonderful weeks” on set.
According to the lawsuit, LaBella was hired for Horizon 2 as the stunt double for actor Ella Hunt in the movie. The lawsuit claims that Hunt negotiated a mandatory intimacy coordinator for all nude or intimate scenes. (SAG-AFTRA also requires intimate scenes to follow regulations that include consent and a closed set.)
LaBella claims that all went well through a scripted rape scene that was detailed and rehearsed with an intimacy coordinator and stunt coordinator. However, the following day, on May 2, 2023, the lawsuit alleges that those rules were not followed when Costner asked LaBella to stand in for Hunt in an unplanned scene of sexual violence involving a different character, played by Roger Ivens. (Hunt had allegedly refused to perform the scene.)
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“Mr. Ivens violently rustled Ms. LaBella’s skirt up as if trying to penetrate her against her will,” the lawsuit states, alleging that the scene had not been rehearsed, no intimacy coordinator was present, and the actions were visible to the crew.
Costner’s attorney contested the allegation. “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 wrote.
In her suit, LaBella claims she was “terrified” after the experience and raised concerns to stunt coordinators and the film’s intimacy coordinator. She also alleged that her career came to an “abrupt halt” after the situation, leaving her feeling “worthless.” However, Singer claimed that “she was in good spirits and made no complaints” to the stunt coordinators involved with the movie, including during a dinner the night of the alleged incident.
LaBella and her attorneys are requesting that a jury decide whether punitive damages are warranted. According to the complaint, the lawsuit aims not only to seek compensation but also 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.”
From Rolling Stone US
