Stunt performer sues Kevin Costner over unscripted rape scene on Horizon 2 set

A stunt performer on the 2024 epic western film ldquoHorizon 2rdquo sued actorfilmmaker Kevin Costner claiming that she was forced to perform an unscripted rape scene without proper protocolsDevyn LaBella was the lead stunt double for Ella Hunt who played the role of Juliette in the ldquoHorizonrdquo films According to LaBellarsquos lawsuit Costner the director improvised a scene in which Huntrsquos character would be raped reports varietycomHunt refused to perform the scene the lawsuit states LaBella was brought in as a standin without advance warning preparation or consent and without an intimacy coordinator present the suit allegesAccording to the complaint LaBella was humiliated and traumatised by the experienceldquoOn 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 industryrdquo LaBella said in a statementThe suit claimed that the scene violated protocols negotiated by SAGAFTRA including a requirement for 48 hoursrsquo notice and consent for any scenes involving nudity or simulated intimacyThe incident took place on May 2 2023 on set in Utah LaBella also performed in a scripted rape scene the previous day which was handled professionally the suit alleged In that scene there were rehearsals an intimacy coordinator was present and the set was closedldquoThis case is a clear example of maledominated sexist Hollywood movie productionrdquo said Kate McFarlane one of the plaintiffsrsquo attorneysldquoOur client was subjected to brutal sexual conduct completely unprotected from the obvious harmrdquoCostner denied the allegations through his attorney Marty Singer In a statement Singer said that Costner ldquoalways wants to make sure that everyone is comfortable working on his films and takes safety on set very seriouslyrdquoldquoHowever this claim by Devyn LaBella has absolutely no merit and it is completely contradicted by her own actions ndash and the factsrdquo Singer saidldquoMs 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 wonrsquot work in this caserdquoAccording to Singer the scene was explained to LaBella and after a rehearsal she gave a ldquothumbs uprdquo to her stunt coordinator indicating her willingness to film the scene ldquoif needed which she was notrdquoThat evening according to Singer LaBella had dinner with the stunt coordinators and was in ldquogood spiritsrdquo and made ldquono complaints to themrdquoLaBellarsquos lawsuit contradicts that version of events saying she wanted to find out why the scene was allowed to take place reports varietycomldquoUpon expressing her outrage and concern the male attendees blamed her for not speaking uprdquo the suit allegedldquoShe now felt completely alone and disappointed but as production was not yet wrapped Ms LaBella had to continue working and keep up a professional attituderdquoOver the next few days according to her suit she experienced bouts of crying She also felt awkward as crew members came up to her to apologize for Costnerrsquos behaviour the suit states She later went into therapy to deal with the aftereffects of the traumatic experienceJames Vagnini another of the plaintiffsrsquo attorneys said the suit is intended to address ldquofailures at the highest levels of Hollywood production companies to comprehend and address the impacts of performing in sexually explicit and violent lsquoscenesrsquo and the need for intimacy coordinationrdquoIn Costnerrsquos defense Singer produced a text message that LaBella allegedly sent to the stunt coordinator upon completing the shoot ldquoThank you for these wonderful weeks I appreciate you so much I learned so much and thank you again Irsquom really happy it worked out the way it did Have a great rest of the shoot and yes talk soonrdquoThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoeveratOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params