The second installment of Kevin Costner’s anthology series “Horizon: An American Saga” features a rape scene that the stunt performer alleges was unscripted.
She is suing Costner for sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation.
According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, Devyn LaBella filed a lawsuit against Costner and the film’s production companies on Tuesday. She claims that she was “the victim of a violent unscripted, unscheduled rape scene” directed by Costner on May 2, 2023.
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Despite the fact that she had previously filmed a scheduled and rehearsed sexual assault scene on May 1, LaBella — whose other credits include “American Horror Story” and “Barbie” — claims that she did not encounter any issues on set. Consequently, she was taken aback when she arrived on set the following day to learn that she would be required to shoot another explicit scene.
The actress asserts that there was no contractually mandated intimacy coordinator present on set on May 2, and that Costner was “either involved in or fully aware of every single thing going on.”
She alleges that Costner instructed actor Roger Ivens during the unrehearsed scene, writing that “Mr. Ivens violently rustled Ms. LaBella’s skirt up as if trying to penetrate her against her will” while “using his body and arms forcibly pinning [her] down,” as per Costner’s orders.
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The lawsuit alleges that in June 2023, LaBella “began therapy to address symptoms stemming from her traumatic experience on the set of ‘Horizon 2,’ including intrusive distressing memories of the traumatic event, sleep disturbance, fears of intimacy, and anxiety, among others.” The suit also alleges that she felt “disposable” and “worthless” in the aftermath of the incident.
Moreover, LaBella alleges that she was subjected to retaliation after reporting the incident to multiple individuals, including the intimacy coordinator and her stunt supervisors. She claims that she was “blacklisted from subsequent employment opportunities on the ‘Horizon’ series and with production colleagues who were made aware of her complaints.”
The suit alleges that Costner and the associated production companies violated her rights “with malice, fraud, oppression, and in reckless disregard.” Consequently, she is seeking “general and compensatory damages in amounts to be proven at trial.”
The Hollywood Reporter, which initially reported on the case, was informed by Costner’s counsel, Marty Singer, that the lawsuit has “absolutely no merit.” He also stated that Costner “always strives to ensure that all individuals are at ease while working on his films and takes the safety of the set very seriously.”
He alleges, in addition, LaBella expressed her gratitude by taking stunt coordinator Wade Allen to dinner following the production and sending him a text message that read, “Thank you for these wonderful weeks!”
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