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Kevin Costner reacts to allegation over Horizon 2 rape scene: ‘The purpose was to embarrass me’
Actor and director Kevin Costner claimed that the stunt professional’s sexual assault allegations were designed to damage his reputation.
Actor Kevin Costner has fired back at a lawsuit filed by a stunt performer on his film Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2, alleging that she was forced to perform a “violent” unscripted rape scene without without proper warning, consent or protocols.
Kevin Costner speaks up
In a declaration filed on Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Costner called the accusations made by the stunt performer, who goes by the name Devyn LaBella, “absolutely false” and “deeply disappointing”, as per Variety.
The actor claimed that the allegations were “designed” to damage his “reputation.”
“I can only assume that purpose was to use this sensationalistic language to embarrass and damage me and the Horizon movies on an ongoing basis in order to gain a massive and unjustified payday,” Costner said in a court declaration.
The 70-year-old added, “Equally as bad, having to read about and address allegations I know to be false involving the words ‘rape’ and ‘assault’ has been an absolute nightmare.”
In May, Devyn LaBella sued Costner for sexual harassment and for creating a hostile work environment. She alleged that Costner improvised a scene in which an actor straddled her and raked up her skirt in an aggressive manner.
Responding to the same, Costner claimed that it was not a “rape scene,” and that while rape was implied, there was no nudity or simulated sex.
“This was one artistic shot designed to imply what was going to happen off-screen, and purposely was not a ‘simulated rape’ as Devyn now falsely describes it,” he claimed.
Now, Costner and his company are seeking to throw out the suit under California’s anti-SLAPP law, which is designed to protect free speech on matters of public concern.
More about the lawsuit
In May this year, Devyn LaBella filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court. It names Costner — the director, star and co-writer of the Horizon series of Westerns — and its production companies as defendants.
According to The Guardian, Devyn LaBella, the stunt double for lead actor Ella Hunt, alleged that on 2 May 2023, Costner improvised a scene in which their character Juliette is raped, one day after Hunt and LaBella filmed a scripted scene in which a different character rapes Juliette. When Hunt declined to perform the scene, LaBella was reportedly then summoned to set without knowledge.
A former gymnast, the 34-year-old LaBella has worked steadily as a Hollywood stunt performer since 2020, with credits including Barbie and Yellowjackets.
