The stuntwoman suing Kevin Costner over an allegedly unscripted rape scene in Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2 has spoken out with harrowing new claims.
Devyn LaBella, who served as a stunt double for actress Ella Hunt, first filed suit in May, alleging she was subjected to a ‘violent, unscripted, unscheduled rape scene directed by Kevin Costner’ while filming in May 2023.
Her amended complaint, filed June 18 and seen by DailyMail, includes new evidence: screenshots of text messages with the film’s intimacy coordinator and a searing account of what she calls a traumatic on-set experience.
Costner, 70, has fiercely denied the accusations through his attorney, Marty Singer, who this week labeled LaBella’s claims ‘meritless,’ describing the scene as ‘a rehearsal on an insert shot’ with “no intimacy or anything sexual.’
‘What happened to me on that set was a reckless violation—a breach of consent and of basic workplace safety,’ LaBella said in a statement released Wednesday.
‘I was told to lie down, and without warning or rehearsal, another actor was brought in to simulate a rape on top of me. My undergarments were exposed. I was left alone afterward, overwhelmed and in shock. Compliance under pressure is not consent.’
LaBella continued: ‘Once the line is crossed, there is no real choice left to make. I spoke up immediately. And for that, I was met with silence, deflection, and efforts to discredit me.’
Her legal team, led by attorneys James A. Vagnini and Kate McFarlane, say their client has provided compelling documentation to support her claims.
They cite messages sent to intimacy coordinator Celeste Cheney the day after the scene was filmed, as well as a report filed by Cheney summarizing LaBella’s concerns.
In one exchange, LaBella texted Cheney: ‘I wanted to discuss yesterday’s abomination when we both have a chance.’ Cheney responded, ‘Oh no, I’m so sorry to hear this Devyn. Let’s talk through it.’
In a follow-up text, LaBella claimed she and another crew member spoke to the film’s line producer and received an apology that allegedly acknowledged Costner’s role: ‘Basically telling me… that Kevin had a long convo with Ella yesterday, basically putting the blame on Kevin and that he needs to be brought up to the current times… and apologize.’
Cheney reportedly replied: ‘Thanks for the update. I’m glad Jeff came to you and apologized.’
LaBella’s attorneys say this shows she reported the incident immediately and that production staff acknowledged mishandling the scene. Vagnini accused Costner and his team of following a ‘tired, archaic playbook’ of denial, while McFarlane condemned what she called a ‘character assassination’ campaign.
‘This case is not just about what happened to me,’ LaBella said. ‘It’s about a broken system that protects those in power and punishes those who speak out.’
According to the amended complaint, LaBella had performed in a scripted rape scene the day before the alleged incident, which was handled professionally – with a closed set, rehearsals, and an intimacy coordinator present.
The following day’s scene, she claims, was improvised by Costner, lacked basic protocols, and was directed by a crew member from the camera department.
Singer has dismissed LaBella’s version of events, saying she was ‘fully clothed’ during a ‘tugging on a dress’ moment. He further alleged LaBella later sent a message to a supervisor thanking them for ‘these wonderful weeks,’ and said multiple witnesses have contradicted her account.
But LaBella’s attorneys counter that she has a long track record of professional conduct and has never previously sued an employer. T
hough Singer has portrayed her as a ‘serial accuser,’ her legal team points out that her only previous involvement in a legal matter was receiving tuition reimbursement in a class-action settlement involving James Franco’s acting school – an issue unrelated to any direct claims she made against Franco himself.
As the legal battle escalates, Costner has yet to directly address the controversy in public.
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