Kevin Costner sued for allegedly directing 'violent unscripted' rape scene without consent

Kevin Costner is being sued by a stuntwoman who alleged that she was made to execute an unscripted rape country without due notice, consent oregon the mandatory beingness of an intimacy coordinator portion she was moving connected the histrion and director's upcoming movie "Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2."

In the sequel film, Devyn LaBella was the pb stunt treble for histrion Ella Hunt, who played 1 of the "Horizon" movies' main characters, Juliette Chesney. "Horizon: An American Saga" is simply a four-part Western movie bid that was co-written, produced and directed by Costner, who besides stars.

In a ailment filed Tuesday successful the Superior Court of California for Los Angeles County and obtained by Fox News Digital, LaBella sued Costner and his accumulation companies for intersexual harassment, intersexual discrimination, the instauration of a hostile workplace situation and retaliation stemming from an alleged on-set incidental successful May 2023. 

Kevin Costner is being sued for intersexual harassment by a stuntwoman who worked connected "Horizon 2." (Warner Bros.)

In a connection to Fox News Digital, Costner's attorney, Marty Singer, emphatically denied the allegations made against his client, saying that LaBella's assertion "has perfectly nary merit." 

The suit claimed that, "On May 2, 2023, plaintiff Devyn LaBella, a pistillate stunt performer, was the unfortunate of a convulsive unscripted, unscheduled rape country directed by Kevin Costner." 

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"The interaction of this impromptu enactment request connected Ms. Labella has been profound, not lone upending a vocation Ms. Labella spent years gathering but leaving her with imperishable trauma that she volition beryllium required to code for years to come," the documents added.

LaBella is suing for unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, and she has requested a proceedings by jury. 

Devyn LaBella claimed that she was subjected to an unscripted rape country during the filming of the movie. (Warner Bros.)

According to the lawsuit, stunt coordinator Wade Allen hired LaBella connected a SAG-AFTRA declaration to enactment arsenic Hunt's stunt treble during the filming of "Horizon 2," which took spot successful Utah. Under SAG-AFTRA protocols, immoderate scenes involving nudity oregon simulated enactment necessitate 48 hours anterior notice, consent and a closed acceptable on with the close for the performer to bring an intimacy coordinator.

The suit stated that Hunt's "Horizon 2" declaration stipulated that the beingness of an intimacy coordinator was mandatory for each scenes involving nudity oregon simulated sex, a request that was besides extended to anyone acting arsenic the actress' stand-in, including LaBella.

Per the lawsuit, LaBella began filming "Horizon 2" in April 2023. 

"For the archetypal respective weeks, Ms. LaBella professionally performed her stunts without incident," the documents read. "However, this acquisition changed dramatically. Due to its precise carnal nature, Defendants informed Ms. LaBella she would beryllium doubling for the bulk of a scripted, assertive and intimate rape scene" betwixt Juliette and a antheral actor's character.

Devyn LaBella was the stunt treble for histrion Ella Hunt, pictured with Tom Payne successful a country from "Horizon." (2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc)

According to the documents, the country was filmed connected May 1, 2023, and LaBella and the actors antecedently rehearsed it with Wade and an intimacy coordinator. During the filming of the scene, the acceptable was closed, and the intimacy coordinator was present. 

"The country ‘wrapped,’ and nary issues were noted," the suit stated.

Per the documents, LaBella was connected acceptable to movie a "non-intimate scene" the pursuing day. The suit alleged that Costner, who was contiguous connected the set, improvised further scenes successful which Juliette would beryllium raped by a antithetic quality played by different actor. 

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The caller scenes required the histrion to "climb connected apical of Ms. Hunt, violently raking up her skirt," the documents claimed. "Due to the advertisement hoc and convulsive quality of the abrupt publication alteration request, on with the nonaccomplishment to unafraid a contractually required intimacy coordinator for the scene, Ms. Hunt became visibly upset and walked disconnected the set, refusing to bash the scene," the documents alleged.

LaBella claimed that Costner asked her to service arsenic a "stand-in" for Hunt after the actress's departure. She alleged that Costner directed the different histrion to "repeatedly execute a convulsive simulated rape" connected her "without due notice, consent, preparation, oregon due safeguard measures successful place, specified arsenic the project’s intimacy coordinator being called in."

According to the lawsuit, LaBella was unaware that Hunt had near the acceptable aft allegedly refusing to execute the scene. 

Ella Hunt allegedly refused to execute the country and walked disconnected the set. (Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Warner Bros.)

In addition, LaBella alleged that the acceptable was not closed. 

"Unlike the shots from the erstwhile day, which were constricted to conscionable the actors progressive engaging successful a choreographed concern with a stunt coordinator, an intimacy coordinator and immoderate of pb accumulation unit contiguous and each nonessential accumulation radical excluded, connected May 2, the full acquisition was broadcast implicit monitors," the suit claimed.

"Further expanding disorder and accent for Ms. LaBella, the country connected May 2nd had nary wide absorption of erstwhile the country began oregon ended. Defendant Costner failed to denote oregon to consistently denote "action" astatine the opening oregon "cut" astatine the extremity of a shoot," the documents stated. 

"After the enactment had already begun, determination was nary clip oregon abstraction to process oregon cull the absorption that was given."

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LaBella besides alleged that Allen and the intimacy coordinator were not informed that the country was taking place. 

After the filming of the country was completed, LaBella "experienced shock, embarrassment and humiliation portion attempting to process the situation."

LaBella said she experienced "sudden bouts of crying connected and disconnected set" for the adjacent fewer days and "broke down successful the hairsbreadth trailer" astatine 1 point. According to the documents, LaBella flew location for respective days to walk clip with household earlier returning to the set.

"However, the concern connected the acceptable upon her instrumentality was precise awkward," the documents claimed. "The accumulation squad was present other cautious astir Ms. LaBella. She was directed to enactment unsocial successful her trailer and not beryllium contiguous connected set, adjacent though this resulted successful her being dressed successful costume for afloat days and past not used." 

"Multiple radical apologized to her implicit the people of days and made excuses for Director Costner, each of which made her consciousness adjacent much uncomfortable," the suit added.

Kevin Costner invested $38 cardinal of his ain wealth into "Horizon: An American Saga." (Warner Bros.)

After accumulation wrapped, LaBella claimed that she began therapy successful June 2023 to "address symptoms" of the alleged experience, which included "intrusive distressing memories of the traumatic event, slumber disturbance, fears of intimacy, and anxiety."

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"On that day, I was near exposed, unprotected, and profoundly betrayed by a strategy that promised information and professionalism," LaBella said successful a connection to Fox News Digital. 

"What happened to maine shattered my spot and everlastingly changed however I determination done this industry," she continued. "As I proceed performing and measurement into my travel of stunt coordination, I run with a fierce committedness to upholding the highest standards, creating sets wherever safety, communication, and consent are non-negotiable." 

"This acquisition has ignited successful maine a lifelong ngo to beryllium the advocator I erstwhile needed, ensuring nary 1 other is ever near arsenic susceptible arsenic I was."

Kevin Costner's lawyer denied the allegations against his client. (Warner Bros.)

In a statement, Singer told Fox News Digital, "Our client, Kevin Costner, ever wants to marque definite that everyone is comfy moving connected his films and takes information connected acceptable precise seriously. However, this assertion by Devyn LaBella has perfectly nary merit, and it is wholly contradicted by her ain actions – and the facts."

Singer labeled LaBella "a serial accuser of radical successful the amusement industry," adding, "But those shakedown tactics won’t enactment successful this case.

"As a stunt performer connected ‘Horizon 2,’ the country successful question was explained to Ms. LaBella, and aft she performed the rehearsal successful quality with different actor, she gave her Stunt Coordinator supervisor [Allen] a "thumbs up" and indicated her willingness to past sprout the scene, if needed (which she was not)," Singer stated. 

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"That night, Ms. LaBella had meal with her supervisor, the stunt coordinator, and with the adjunct stunt coordinator, and she was successful bully spirits and made nary complaints to them," helium continued. "She continued to enactment connected the movie for a fewer much weeks until her wrapper date, and she took the stunt coordinator to a thank-you dinner."

Singer besides pointed to a substance that LaBella allegedly sent to Allen which was "illustrated with blessed bosom emojis" and read: "Thank you for these fantastic weeks! I truthful admit you! I learned truthful overmuch and convey you again. I’m truly blessed it worked retired the mode it did to. Have a large remainder of the sprout and yes speech soon!"

"The facts are clear, and we are beyond assured that Kevin volition prevail," Singer concluded.