RAPE SCENE ‘TRAUMA’
Kevin Costner sued by stuntwoman Devyn LaBella over ‘violent & unscripted’ rape scene in new Western movie Horizon
The lawsuit described the scene as an inescapable 'nightmare' to film for the alleged victim
KEVIN Costner has been accused of making a stuntwoman perform a "violent and unscripted" rape scene in his latest Western film.
Devyn LaBella, 34, has sued the Hollywood star and director for allegedly instructing an actor to pin her down and simulate rape without any formal warning or a rehearsal.
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Costner, 70, was acting as well as directing on set for the 2024 movie Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2, at the time.
He has denied all the allegations.
LaBella, who played the stunt double for actress Ella Hunt in Horizon, had featured in several scenes during the 2023 filming schedule.
One of these included a planned sexual assault scene on May 1, the suit says.
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LaBella, a former gymnast, says she happily agreed to these scenes due to the proper protocol being taken both before and during filming.
These including regular meetings, rehearsals, minimal crew members on set and the presence of an intimacy co-ordinator at all times.
But a day later, LaBella alleges in the lawsuit that she was asked to return to set and take part in an unscripted scene involving sexual violence.
Costner is accused of directing a fellow actor to pin down LaBella on a wagon before simulating rape.
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The lawsuit also claims Costner demanded several retakes.
The scene was initiated with no warning, rehearsal or choreography, according to the stuntwoman.
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She also claims there was no indication of when the cameras were rolling during the scenes.
A line in the suit reads: “There was no escaping the situation, and all Ms LaBella could do was wait for the nightmare to end."
The Los Angeles lawsuit also names the production companies involved as defendants as well as Costner.
Kate McFarlane, the lawyer representing LaBella, described it as a “clear example of male-dominated, sexist Hollywood movie production”.
She added: “Our client was subjected to brutal sexual conduct, completely unprotected from the obvious harm."
The lawsuit also claims LaBella was met with “continuous reminders of the shame, humiliation and complete lack of control” she had on set for the remainder of filming.
This caused her to experience "sudden bouts of crying on and off set”, it continued.
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As well as denying the allegations, Marty Singer, Costner’s lawyer, argued that LaBella was well informed of the scene in advance and had consented to it.
Singer says LaBella did not make any complaints at the time either on set or to her supervisors afterwards.
“She continued to work on the movie for a few more weeks until her wrap date, and she took the stunt co-ordinator to a thank-you dinner," he added.
LaBella has been a Hollywood stunt performer since 2020.
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She is now seeking damages in an amount to be determined at trial.
The suit is also looking for a public apology to the stuntwoman, the defendants to undergo sexual harassment training and them to be required to use an intimacy co-ordinator on all future productions.
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