Kevin Costner’s Horizon films are on the receiving end of a sexual harassment lawsuit, over a rape scene in the film. More here.
Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga series of films are in more bother this morning, following a sexual harassment lawsuit that’s been aimed in the direction of holding company Horizon Series, Inc. That’s Costner’s firm, that’s overseeing the production of the four movies in the saga, of which two have thus far been shot.
The new allegation centres on a scene of rape in Horizon: An America Saga – Chapter 2, that was shot using stunt performer Devyn LaBella. She was doubling for Ella Hunt in the scene in question, and has filed a suit claiming “Devyn LaBella, a female stunt performer, was the victim of a violent unscripted, unscheduled rape scene directed by Kevin Costner.”
The scene, she alleges, was added late in the day, adding that Ella Hunt refused to shoot it. Hunt has not commented on this story, but the complaint argues that “Due to the ad hoc and violent nature of the sudden script change request, along with the failure to secure a contractually required intimacy coordinator for the scene, Ms. Hunt became visibly upset and walked off the set, refusing to do the scene.”
Hunt had negotiated an intimacy coordinator for all nude and intimate scenes in her contract and, as her stunt double, the requirement also applied to LaBella. Both Hunt and LaBella are also members of SAG-AFTRA, a union for performers, which requires productions to give performers 48 hours notice on any scene involving simulated sex, as well as a closed set and explicit consent.
The scene in question eventually ended up being shot with a different stand-in performer. The production had also shot another, scripted rape scene the day before which reportedly went without a hitch. The scene was appropriately rehearsed with a stunt coordinator and an intimacy coordinator, performed in a closed set and actors were given breaks during filming, as detailed by The Hollywood Reporter.
It’s a 28-page legal complaint that’s been filed, with LaBella’s lawyers arguing “the impact of this impromptu work demand on Ms. Labella has been profound, not only upending a career Ms. Labella spent years building but leaving her with permanent trauma that she will be required to address for years to come.”
As you might expect, the rebuttal from Kevin Costner’s attorney has been to the point. Marty Singer sent what was described as an ‘emoji pepper (sic) statement’ to Deadline, arguing the suit as “absolutely no merit.”
He adds that “As a stunt performer on Horizon 2, the scene in question was explained to Ms. LaBella, and after she performed the rehearsal in character with another actor, she gave her Stunt Coordinator supervisor a “thumbs up” and indicated her willingness to then shoot the scene, if needed (which she was not).”
The case, in theory, will go to trial if a settlement is not reached out of court.
More on the story, here.
Additional reporting by Maria Lattila.
