Kevin Costner responds to allegations surrounding rape scene in ‘Horizon 2’
Kevin Costner has responded to allegations after being recently sued by a stunt performer for an alleged “unscripted rape scene” in Horizon 2.
In May, it was announced that stunt performer Devyn LaBella was suing the production companies behind Horizon: An American Saga—Chapter 2. In the lawsuit, she accused the film of not giving her notice or asking for consent to record the scene. LaBella also claimed they did not include a mandatory intimacy coordinator during the scene.
At the time, LaBella noted, “On that day, I was left exposed, unprotected, and deeply betrayed by a system that promised safety and professionalism. What happened to me shattered my trust and forever changed how I move through this industry.”
In a new court filing, Costner has denied these allegations vehemently. He claims LaBella is simply attempting to “embarrass and damage” the director, and is only in pursuit of an “unjustified payday.”
Costner moved to throw out the lawsuit, stating in his declaration, “Devyn’s claims against me are absolutely false, and it is deeply disappointing to me that a woman who worked on our production would claim that I or any other of the production team would make one of our own feel uncomfortable, let alone suffer the ‘nightmare’ she has invented.”
He went on to add, “I can only assume that the 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. 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.”
However, LaBella’s claims were supported by the film’s intimacy coordinator, Celeste Chaney. She agreed that the scene was “unexpectedly sprung” on the performers.
Nonetheless, the film’s stunt coordinator, Wade Allen, tells a different story. Allen, who hired and supervised LaBella, said the scene contained “no intimacy, no nudity, no sexual conduct or sexual movement of any kind.”
He added, “At no point that day did [LaBella] evidence any distress or discomfort, or any concern about what she had been asked to do.”
Despite premiering at the Venice Film Festival last year, no release date has been announced for Horizon 2.
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