NEWSKevin Costner 'Unscripted Rape' Lawsuit Details: Stuntwoman Submits New Evidence of Her Distress After On-Set 'Abomination'
A stuntwoman suing Kevin Costner has amended her lawsuit.
An amendment has been filed for a lawsuit originally submitted in May against Kevin Costner and Territory Pictures — the production company behind the famed actor's hit western film series Horizon: An American Saga.
The stuntwoman suing Costner and the movie-making company revealed new evidence in court on June 18 over an unscheduled and "unscripted rape scene" that allegedly occurred on set in May 2023.
The individual, named Devyn LaBella, amended the lawsuit to include alleged text messages showcasing how she reached out to the movie's intimacy coordinator one day after the reported incident occurred.
Text Messages Expose New Evidence Against Kevin Costner
Kevin Costner was accused of instructing Devyn LaBella to participate in an 'unscheduled' rape scene with no intimacy coordinator present.
"I wanted to discuss yesterdays [sic] abomination when we both have a chance. I was put in a really wrong position and it’s really affected me," LaBella, 30, said to a person whose contact name read "Celeste Intimacy Coordinator."
"Oh no, I’m so sorry to hear this Devyn. Let’s talk through it," the coordinator responded.
In a lengthy message sent back to the specialist, LaBella fired of several questions, asking: "Why was there no intimacy coordinator? Why was a stunt double doing this non-stunt work — especially given the sensitivity of it? Why wasn’t there any preparation in the wardrobe department to prevent the Juliette double from being exposed? Why was sensitive and explicit action commanded when it wasn’t in the script?"
She continued: "Why did the rehearsal not have a beginning, middle or end? Why wasn’t it a closed set? How did lining up a shot turn into a rape sequence? Why was a man from the camera department directing this non-scripted action? Why was this being recorded like a formal rehearsal but not treated like a formal rehearsal? (People not quiet, no calling for action or cut, open set). Why was I expected to speak up [that] I wasn’t comfortable when I [had] no real opportunity to even be asked if I was OK with this? Who was directing the impromptu sensitive action? How did we end up with an exposed stunt double simulating a rape scene with unscripted explicate action and no intimacy coordinator, preparations or explanation on an open set?"
Devyn LaBella sued Kevin Costner and his production company for damages over an alleged 'unscripted' rape scene.
After the alleged text conversation, the intimacy coordinator is said to have filled out an incident report summarizing LaBella's complaint — citing how "apologies were made" by "various parties involved" to the stunt double and the actress she stood in for, Ella Hunt, 27.
The alleged incident report explained: "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 [Hunt] 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."
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Inside 'Unscripted Rape' Lawsuit Against Kevin Costner
ELla Hunt was the actress Devyn LaBella stood in for.
LaBella initially claimed she was the victim of a "violent, unscripted, unscheduled rape scene" directed by Costner in Utah on May 2, 2023.
She alleged filming went without incident for weeks until she was told she would be "doubling for the majority of a scripted, aggressive and intimate rape scene between one female character, played by Hunt, and another cast member named Douglas Smith."
The scene had reportedly been shot on a closed set with an intimacy coordinator present and no issues, however, the allegedly unscripted scene occurred the next day.
Hunt apparently refused to film the scene after learning actor Roger Ivens would be "violently raking up her skirt."
"Costner, who was present on the set, specifically added this scene, which varied from the scene filmed the day before which had not involved pulling up the actor’s skirt," LaBella'a lawsuit claimed, noting Hunt looked upset and stormed off set before Costner asked her stunt double to step in. She apparently did not know what had left the actress distraught.
Ella Hunt allegedly refused to participate in the scene before Devyn LaBella was asked to step in.
"[LaBella] was not a stand-in performer, and what [Costner] requested of her was not within the scope of her role as a stunt double. Nevertheless, and in complete ignorance of the nature of the actual ‘shot’ [Costner] had planned for her, [LaBella] agreed to help out with what she thought would be a quick stand-in shot," the filing noted.
The stuntwoman insisted no one warned or prepared her for Ivens, 44, to "perform or engage in any action on top of her and first learned that Ivens would mount her and violently pull her skirt up when he was already on top of her doing so."
There was allegedly no intimacy coordinater on set for the scene.
“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 lawsuit continued.
