Hollywood has found itself in another legal showdown as Kevin Costner, the 69-year-old actor, director, and producer, fights back against allegations from stuntwoman Devyn LaBella.
The controversy centers on a scene from his “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2” series, which LaBella claims went far beyond what was safe or consensual.
In response, Costner has submitted new court filings featuring photos from the set that he says contradict her claims.
The Alleged Incident and LaBella’s Lawsuit
LaBella, who was doubling for actress Ella Hunt, filed a lawsuit in May 2023 alleging that she was subjected to an unscripted, violent simulation of sexual assault while filming a wagon scene.
According to her complaint, she was instructed to lie down while an actor simulated rape on top of her without warning or rehearsal, leaving her undergarments exposed and her left feeling shocked and violated.
In an amended filing from June, LaBella included text messages with the film’s intimacy coordinator and detailed her emotional distress, emphasizing that consent cannot be retroactively given once harm has started.
Costner’s Defense and Court Filings
Costner has now pushed back, filing sworn declarations and behind-the-scenes images that, he argues, show LaBella was comfortable and fully clothed during the scene.
The photos depict her in costume—including bike shorts beneath an ankle-length dress—lying next to actor Roger Ivens inside a covered wagon.
According to Costner, the scene was carefully planned, with no nudity, simulated sex, or simulated rape.
He claims LaBella participated in blocking the scene, consented throughout, and showed no signs of discomfort.
“I never heard that Devyn claimed to be upset about anything that happened that day until months after principal photography,” the declaration reads.
What the Scene Actually Involved
Costner describes the disputed scene as limited to Ivens lifting the hem of LaBella’s outer dress and swinging a leg over her so he ended up “on all fours” above her.
He insists there was no nudity, sexual contact, fighting, or physicality beyond the brief movement of her dress, which remained below the waist, leaving her pantaloons and petticoats undisturbed.
He also notes that after filming, LaBella sent a text to a supervisor thanking the team for a positive experience, which he says contradicts claims of trauma on set.
Legal Back-and-Forth Intensifies
Costner’s legal team has requested the court dismiss LaBella’s complaint entirely, arguing her allegations are unfounded.
They maintain she was happy on set and grateful for the experience.
Meanwhile, LaBella and her attorneys have doubled down, asserting that she was silenced and discredited by Costner and his team, and that the system failed to protect her.
LaBella’s statement to the Daily Mail emphasized the broader stakes of the case: “This is not just about what happened to me.
It’s about a broken system that protects those in power and punishes those who speak out… I will never apologize for demanding the bare minimum—to be treated like a human being at work.”
Attorneys Weigh In
LaBella’s lawyers, James Vagnini and Kate McFarlane, have backed her claims, noting that evidence such as texts and the intimacy coordinator’s report supports her account.
Vagnini criticized the defense’s approach as outdated and dismissive, questioning how long systems in Hollywood will continue to shield those in power without accountability.
