Hollywood star Kevin Costner sued by stuntwoman over 'violent' unscripted rape scene in new film
28 May 2025, 15:19
A stuntwoman who worked with Hollywood star Kevin Costner on Horizon 2 has sued after he allegedly forced her to perform a unscripted rape scene without union protocols.
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The American western is to be directed, co-written and produced by Kevin Costner.
Devyn LaBella, the lead stunt double for Ella Hunt, alleged Costner added a "violent unscripted scene" on May 2 2023 that saw Hunt’s character, Juliette Chesney, raped.
The suit claims Ms Hunt "became visibly upset and walked off the set, refusing to do the scene" that Costner proposed.
Ms Hunt's contract stipulated that producers must provide at least 48 hours of notice before call time to review any nude or intimate scenes.
They must also provide an intimacy coordinator.
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These terms extended to Ms LaBella.
Ms LaBella claims she was unaware Ms Hunt refused to do the scene and was given no warning about what the scene entailed.
The suit states that the scene required the male actor to mount her, pin her down, and “violently pull her skirt up”.
Ms LaBella had done a similar shoot the previous day, that was similarly scripted, previously discussed, and rehearsed and choreographed. An intimacy coordinator was present then and the set closed, following SAG-AFTRA rules.
The suit said "she experienced shock, embarrassment and humiliation while attempting to process the situation" after filming ended.
She has also alleged she was not hired back to work on future Horizon films, of which two subsequent films are planned, or for other projects. She claims this is retaliation for reporting the incident on set.
Ms LaBella later met her stunt coordinator Wade Allen to discuss the event.
Upon expressing her outrage and concern, the male attendees blamed her for not speaking up,” the lawsuit claimed.
Ms LaBella alleges she “experienced sudden bouts of crying on and off set” and took a few days off to “regain control”.
When she returned to set, she said the “production team was extra careful” around her.
She claims she was asked to stay in her trailer, fully in costume, even on days she was not needed to film.
She claims multiple crew members apologised to her for Costner’s behaviour and she had to go to therapy to deal with her experience.
In a statement via his attorney, Costner denied the allegations.
The director "always wants to make sure that everyone is comfortable working on his films and takes safety on set very seriously", the lawyer, Marty Singer, said to Variety.
"However, this claim by Devyn LaBella has absolutely no merit and it is completely contradicted by her own actions – and the facts. Ms 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 won’t work in this case."
Singer claims Ms LaBella gave a "thumbs up" to her stunt coordinator after a rehearsal - suggesting she would film the scene "if needed".
