A stuntwoman onKevin Costner’s western epicHorizon: An American Saga–Chapter 2is suing the director and star, along with the film’s production companies, for sexual discrimination, harassment and the creation of a hostile work environment over an alleged unscripted rape scene she was subjected to during filming in May 2023. According to the lawsuit,Devyn LaBella, the lead stunt double forElla Hunt, had to step in when Costner improvised the scene involving Hunt’s character, Juliette. She claimed there was no advance notice that the violent scene was coming, she had no preparation for the scene that day, and she had not given consent. Moreover, an intimacy coordinator was not brought in per the suit, and the set was not closed off.
The “impromptu work demand” would violate both Hunt and LaBella’s contracts as members ofSAG-AFTRA, which protect against last-minute requests for nudity or simulated sexual acts andmandate that an intimacy coordinator be presentfor any such scenes involving the actor or their stunt double. The suit claims that, before LaBella knew what was going on, Hunt had stormed off the set “visibly upset” after Costner brought up the impromptu scene. When the stunt performer was brought in, she was allegedly not informed of the nature of the scene until she was already positioned, and the director called for actorRoger Ivensto get on top of her, pin her down, and perform the simulated non-consensual act. “Mr. Ivens violently rustled Ms. LaBella’s skirt up as if trying to penetrate her against her will,” the claim says, all of which was ordered by Costner. Moreover, it adds that Costner was not consistently calling action or cut, giving next to no time to comprehend what was happening, while Ivens “never separated” from her.
“On that day, I was left exposed, unprotected, and deeply betrayed by a system that promised safety and professionalism,” LaBella said in a statement shared with the media.“What happened to me shattered my trust and forever changed how I move through this industry.” The complete defiance of rules came as a shock to her after she had just performed a similar scene of sexual violence involving Hunt’s character the previous day that included rehearsal, involvement from the stunt and intimacy coordinators throughout the entire process, and a closed set shoot that allowed for breaks for both actors as needed. On top of harassment, the stunt performer also claimedshe faced retaliation for reporting her experience. After working onHorizon’s first two chapters, she was not re-hiredfor the third chapter, and the stunt coordinator, with whom she had collaborated regularly before the Western, has yet to hire her again.
LaBella’s Legal Suit Is the Latest Addition to ‘Horizon’s Legal Troubles
LaBella had beena fast-rising stunt performerbeforeHorizon, most notably working onGreta Gerwig’s mega-hitBarbie. However, the lawsuit alleges that her career ground to a halt after the big-budget Western, between the stunt coordinator no longer hiring her and the “heightened apprehension” about the industry the incident instilled in her. AttorneyJames A. Vagninisaid that the ultimate goal of filing her claim was, “not only for the damages Plaintiff has sustained, but to address the continued failures at the highest levels of Hollywood production companies to comprehend and address the impacts of performing in sexually explicit and violent ‘scenes’ and the need for intimacy coordination.”
Costner, meanwhile,has disputed the allegations, with his lawyer,Marty Singer, putting out a statement saying the director/star “always wants to verify that everyone is comfortable working on his films and takes safety on set very seriously. 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.” He went on to counter that the shoot LaBella described was instead a rehearsal with cameras off and coordinators present, and claimed that her relationship with stunt coordinatorWade Allenwas perfectly fine afterward, giving him a thumbs up when the scene was done and heading out to a celebratory dinner with the coordinators that evening with no complaints about the shoot.
Horizonhas been a massive passion project for Costner, planned asa four-part epicfollowing a collection of characters on their journey to settle the American West. TheDances With Wolvesdirector has even invested a hefty amount of his own money to see the $100 million project through. However, things haven’t gone well so far, with the first chapter flopping at the box office with only $38 million worldwide, while thesecond is still awaiting a release dateafterNew Line Cinema pulled it from its schedule. Lately, the future ofHorizonis looking more uncertain than ever, thanks to more legal troubles involving the production company. Earlier this month, New Linefiled an arbitration claim against Costner’s loan-out firmfor allegedly breaching their co-financing deal on the series, arguing they were owed repayment for part of the financing that Horizon Series failed to cover.
Stay tuned here at Collider for more onHorizon: An American Sagaas this story develops.Chapter 1is available to stream now on Netflix and Max.
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2
