Kevin Costner is facing legal action over a disturbing-sounding incident on the set of Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2. Stunt performer Devyn LaBella alleges in a recently filed lawsuit that she was “the victim of a violent unscripted, unscheduled rape scene directed by Kevin Costner” that has left her with “permanent trauma”.
LaBella was the stunt double for Ella Hunt, who plays Juliette in the Western cowboy saga. The suit details that during filming on May 2, 2023 Costner began improvising a scene in which Juliette would be violently raped, after already having shot a scripted scene showing her being raped by a different character the day before.
Ella Hunt refused to perform the second scene, so LaBella was called to the set to stand in for her. As the suit details, LaBella alleges she was given no details of what Costner had in mind before the shooting began, just telling her to “lay down” as the male actor was told to “repeatedly perform a violent simulated rape” on her.
LaBella specifically accuses Costner and the production team of breaching SAG-AFTRA rules on intimate scenes, which require full consent from performers and 48 hours’ notice being given before these kinds of scenes are shot. LaBella also says that no intimacy coordinator was present, and as that was mandatory under Hunt’s contract, she argues it applies to her as her stand-in. Finally, this was not a closed set, claiming “the scene was broadcast publicly on monitors for the entire crew to witness … anyone could walk by and observe the scene being performed.”
As a consequence, the suit says she continues to suffer from “physical and emotional injuries, including nervousness, humiliation, depression, anguish, embarrassment, fright, shock, pain, discomfort, fatigue, and anxiety.”
“Absolutely no merit”
Costner has strenuously denied all the allegations, with his attorney Marty Singer telling Variety that he “always wants to make sure that everyone is comfortable working on his films and takes safety on set very seriously.” Singer dismissed LaBella as a “serial accuser” trying “shakedown tactics” and says her claim has “absolutely no merit, and it is completely contradicted by her own actions – and the facts.”
As evidence, Singer produced a text message apparently sent by LaBella to the stunt coordinator after the shoot, which read: “Thank you for these wonderful weeks! I so appreciate you! I learned so much and thank you again. I’m really happy it worked out the way it did to. Have a great rest of the shoot and yes talk soon!” LaBella says she was just trying to keep up a “professional attitude”.
Published: May 28, 2025 05:34 am