Devyn LaBella, the stuntwoman suing Kevin Costner over an alleged unscripted rape scene in his recent Horizon film has accused the actor of trying to “silence” and “discredit” her.
As Us Weekly previously reported, LaBella filed her lawsuit against Costner, 70, and Territory Pictures last month and submitted new evidence in court on June 18. She claims that she was hired to work on Horizon, which Costner directed, and filmed an allegedly “violent, unscripted, unscheduled rape scene” in May 2023.
“What happened to me on that set was a reckless violation — a breach of consent and of basic workplace safety,” LaBella claimed in a statement to Us on Wednesday, June 25.
“I was told to lie down, and without warning or rehearsal, another actor was brought in to simulate a rape on top of me,” she alleged. “My undergarments were exposed. I was left alone afterward, overwhelmed and in shock. Compliance under pressure is not consent. Consent cannot be given after the harm has already begun.”
She added: “Once the line is crossed, there is no real choice left to make. I spoke up immediately. And for that, I was met with silence, deflection, and efforts to discredit me. This case is not just about what happened to me. It’s about a broken system that protects those in power and punishes those who speak out. It’s about demanding change, not just for me but for everyone who deserves to work in safety and dignity.”
In conclusion, LaBella wrote, “What happened on that set was wrong. Let it be known: I stood up. I told the truth. And I will never apologize for demanding the bare minimum — to be treated like a human being at work.”
Costner previously denied the allegations against him, with his attorney Marty Singer telling Us in a statement, “[LaBella] was doing a rehearsal on an Insert Shot for a scripted scene. There was no intimacy or anything sexual in the shot. There was tugging on a dress while she was fully clothed in a dress with long bloomers lying down next to a male actor. Numerous witnesses have contradicted [LaBella’s] meritless claims. She herself texted her supervisor after she wrapped, stating, ‘Thank you for these wonderful weeks.’”
When reached for comment Wednesday, Singer reiterated that statement, adding, “We look forward to the swift end of this specious lawsuit.”
One of LaBella’s attorneys, James Vagnini, issued his own statement Wednesday, telling Us, “In addition to amending this complaint to address Defendants’ continued attempts to interfere with Ms. LaBella’s opportunities to work, we amend this complaint to underscore the indisputable evidence that from the moment Ms. LaBella was subjected to the trauma forced upon her, she stood up and voiced her objections and suffering.”
Vagnini continued, “Despite Defendants’ continued misstatements that Ms. LaBella had no issues with what transpired, evidence — including text messages, phone calls, and even a scathing report by production’s own Intimacy Coordinator — demonstrates the true narrative: that the Defendants failed her in every possible way. The playbook used by Defendants like this is tired, archaic, and as hollow as their words. How many more men who have followed this same pattern of denial and redirection have to be sued or go to jail before they realize that leading with accountability and an apology goes a long way?”
Kate McFarlane, another LaBella attorney, also alleged that the “attempted character assassination of Ms. LaBella is extremely disappointing. However, it is not surprising,” she stated Wednesday. “We have seen this time and again from men in this industry attempting to deflect the narrative rather than take any accountability for their actions that harm others.”
In her lawsuit, LaBella claimed that the alleged unscripted rape scene was to feature actress Ella Hunt and actor Roger Ivens. LaBella claimed that Hunter refused to shoot the scene after learning that it would involve her skirt being “violently” raked up by Ivens.
“As directed by Costner, this unscripted, unrehearsed scene consisted of [Ivens] mounting [LaBella] while miming the unbuttoning of his pants, and using his body and arms to forcibly pin down [ LaBella], who was on her back underneath him. [Ivens] violently rustled [LaBella’s] skirt up as if trying to penetrate her against her will and he was directed to pin her legs open with his knee,” the suit reads.
LaBella claimed that she complained to the intimacy coordinator afterward. She believes that her objections led to her not getting hired on Horizon 3.
Earlier this month, LaBella amended her lawsuit to include alleged texts she sent the coordinator regarding her allegations. One message said, “Why was a stunt double doing this non stunt work — especially given the sensitivity of it?”
Another read, “Who is gonna take responsibility for the abuse of power …”
The coordinator then wrote a report, stating, “This was not a formal or uniform process. Ideally, apologies would be issued by [Costner], the 1st AD, and others involved to both Ella and Devyn. Ella requested that the intimacy coordinator be brought back to provide support the following week. Production obliged. Devyn requested that production pay for her flight home that weekend so she could receive support from family and friends. Production obliged.”
Costner’s attorney previously claimed that the case had “no merit,” and that the filmmaker “wants to make sure that everyone is comfortable” on his movie sets. He argued that LaBella’s allegations were “completely contradicted by her own actions.”
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