Actor Kevin Costner and producers of his movie Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2 are being sued by one of many film’s stunt performers over allegations that she was compelled to carry out a violent, unscripted rape scene with out consent or prior warning.
Devyn Labella, the lead stunt double for Ella Hunt, who performs a personality named Juliette within the Horizon franchise — a four-part western sequence written and directed by Costner, who additionally stars within the film — filed a lawsuit in California on Tuesday.
Kevin Costner on the purple carpet for ‘Horizon: An American Saga’ on the 77th annual Cannes Movie Pageant at Palais des Festivals on Could 19, 2024, in Cannes, France.
Gisela Schober / Getty Photos
She is claiming that on Could 2, 2023, Costner made her partake in an improvised rape scene the day after Hunt and LaBella had shot a scripted scene additionally depicting rape by a special character.
Hunt declined to movie the unscripted scene, in keeping with the submitting. Consequently, LaBella was referred to as to fill in, unaware that Hunt had refused to take part and vacated the set.
The lawsuit alleges that LaBella was not given prior warning {that a} new male actor within the impromptu scene had been instructed to “climb on high of Ms. Hunt (LaBella)” and “violently” pull up her skirt.
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“Defendant Costner, who was current on the set, particularly added this scene, which diverse from the scene filmed the day earlier than, which had not concerned pulling up the actor’s skirt. Furthermore, this revised scene will not be specified within the assigned name sheet for that day,” attorneys for the plaintiff argued.
Left to proper: Isabelle Fuhrman, Ella Hunt, Kevin Costner, Sienna Miller and Abbey Lee Kershaw attend the ‘Horizon: An American Saga’ photocall on the 77th annual Cannes Movie Pageant at Palais des Festivals on Could 19, 2024, in Cannes, France.
Stephane Cardinale – Corbis / Getty Photos
In line with LaBella, in the course of the filming of the scene, Costner advised her to “lay down” in a wagon whereas he directed the male actor to “repeatedly carry out a violent simulated rape” on her, whereas Costner continued to experiment with totally different angles and “takes.”
The lawsuit argues that Costner violated the phrases of LaBella’s contract, established by her union, SAG-AFTRA, which requires all performers to consent to collaborating in scenes simulating intercourse or involving nudity and to obtain 48 hours’ discover forward of filming sequences of that nature.
LaBella says she was not given the required warning and that she didn’t consent, as required in her contract. She additionally says there was no intimacy co-ordinator current, which is obligatory below Hunt’s contract, and likewise utilized to LaBella as her stunt double.
As well as, the lawsuit claims the set was not closed. It is not uncommon apply that in the course of the filming of intimate scenes, solely a skeleton crew is current. Nevertheless, LaBella claims that “the scene was broadcast publicly on screens for your entire crew to witness … anybody may stroll by and observe the scene being carried out.”
It additionally states that, not like the unscripted rape scene, the scripted one filmed the day prior was rehearsed and overseen by an intimacy co-ordinator on a closed set, as stipulated in her contract.
LaBella is looking for damages for sexual harassment, a hostile work atmosphere and breach of contract.
She claims to have been left within the wagon alone after the scene wrapped, saying that she felt “shock, embarrassment, and humiliation whereas trying to course of the scenario,” and that she was “holding again tears.”
LaBella was required to proceed engaged on one other scene afterward, regardless of her “terrified” emotions, her attorneys say.
In an announcement to Selection, Costner’s lawyer, Marty Singer, denied the allegations, saying his consumer “at all times desires to be sure that everyone seems to be snug engaged on his movies and takes security on set very critically,” including that LaBella’s declare has “completely no advantage, and it’s fully contradicted by her personal actions — and the details.”
“Ms. LaBella is a serial accuser of individuals within the leisure business and has labored with the identical lawyer on previous claims. However these shakedown ways received’t work on this case,” he continued.
Costner argues that LaBella was briefed on the scene and allowed to rehearse it earlier than giving a “thumbs up” to her stunt co-ordinator, which, in keeping with his attorneys, indicated her willingness to take part if she was wanted, which she was not, Costner says.
As a substitute, he says LaBella attended a dinner with the stunt co-ordinators, was in “good spirits” and made “no complaints to them.”
In line with the lawsuit, LaBella was not rehired for the filming of the third installment and has not been referred to as again to work with the stunt co-ordinators on every other initiatives regardless of having labored with them on a number of initiatives earlier than.
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