Kevin Costner faces major setback in ‘Horizon 2’ harassment suit
Kevin Costner has lost his bid to throw out the lawsuit accusing him of sexual harassment during the filming of Horizon 2.
In May, it was announced that stunt performer Devyn LaBella was suing the production companies behind Horizon: An American Saga: Chapter 2. She accused the film of not giving her notice or asking for consent to record an unscripted rape scene. LaBella also claimed they did not include a mandatory intimacy coordinator during the scene.
Costner responded with a new court filing in August, where he vehemently denied the allegations. He claimed LaBella was attempting to “embarrass and damage” the director and was only in pursuit of an “unjustified payday.”
Consequently, Costner’s lawyer, Marty Singer, moved to throw out the suit under California’s anti-SLAPP law, which is designed to protect free speech from frivolous litigation.
However, Judge Jon Takasugi has denied the motion. He shared that the facts alleged in the lawsuit are sufficient to proceed.
Kate McFarlane, one of LaBella’s attorneys, supported this decision, sharing, “The creative process cannot and does not give men in power complete impunity to abuse women like Ms. LaBella. We were confident we would prevail against Defendants on this frivolous motion, and we did.”
LaBella’s claims against Costner were also originally supported by the film’s intimacy coordinator, Celeste Chaney. She agreed that the scene was “unexpectedly sprung” on the performer, who worked as the stunt double for Ella Hunt.
On the other hand, Costner’s attorney has submitted statements from several actors and crew members who thought differently. Notably, these documents posit the scene as not a “simulated rape,” stressing that LaBella did not appear to object at the time.
Despite premiering at the Venice Film Festival last year, no release date has been announced for Horizon 2. Watch the trailer for the project below.
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