Violent unscripted, unscheduled’ rape scene at core of lawsuit against Kevin Costner

What’s described as a “violent unscripted, unscheduled” rape scene is at the heart of a lawsuit filed by a stunt performer against Kevin Costner, director, co-writer and star of “Horizon: An American Saga: Chapter 2” and the film’s production companies, according to multiple media reports.

Devyn LaBella filed the lawsuit Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, claiming the “impact of the impromptu work demand” has upended her career and left her permanently traumatized, the Associated Press reported

The 34-year-old stunt performer, a former gymnast, has been working in Hollywood since at least 2020, her IMDB page showing credits for stunts in “Barbie,” “American Horror Story,” “Yellowjackets” and “CSI: Vegas” among others.

According to the lawsuit, LaBella was working as the stunt double for lead actress Ella Hunt on the second film in Costner’s western series.

While the film, shot in May 2023, included a planned sexual assault scene in which there were rehearsals, meetings, the presence of an intimacy coordinator and minimal crew on set, the lawsuit alleges the following day Costner, without warning, directed an actor to pin LaBella on a wagon and simulate rape, the AP reported.

Additionally, LaBella and her attorneys claim Costner called for many takes while experimenting with the violent action and never made it clear when a shot was starting or ending.

“There was no escaping the situation, and all Ms. LeBella could do was wait for the nightmare to end,” the suit says.