A stunt performer for Kevin Costner’s upcoming film “Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2” has sued the director and the producers of the film, claiming that she was tasked with performing a violent rape scene without notice or consent and without the intimacy coordinator required by union rules present.
LaBella also claims that she faced retaliation for reporting the incident by not being called back for subsequent work on the “Horizon” film series and never being hired again by the stunt coordinator for the film, with whom she worked previously.
“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,” LaBella said in a statement.
In a statement provided to TheWrap, attorneys for Costner said that the accusations have “absolutely no merit.”
“As a stunt performer on ‘Horizon 2,’ the scene in question was explained to Ms. LaBella, and after she performed the rehearsal in character with another actor, she gave her Stunt Coordinator supervisor a ‘thumbs up’ and indicated her willingness to then shoot the scene, if needed (which she was not),” the statement read.
According to the lawsuit obtained by TheWrap, LaBella had been cast as a stunt double for actress Ella Hunt, who plays a British woman that is part of a wagon train traveling through the Santa Fe Trail. LaBella was tasked with shooting a scripted rape scene that had been rehearsed and overseen by an intimacy coordinator that was shot without incident.
But the lawsuit alleges that on the following day, when LaBella was expecting to double for Hunt for a pair of non-sexual scenes, she was instructed to lay down on a wagon for what turned out to be a non-scripted rape scene with no rehearsal and an intimacy coordinator not present, in violation of SAG-AFTRA rules.
The lawsuit claims that, unbeknownst to LaBella, Hunt had walked off the set “visibly upset” after being told by Costner about the impromptu scene. The rape scene was not listed on the day’s call sheet, and LaBella did not know that the scene would involve rape until another stunt performer was called on to perform simulated sex on top of her.
LaBella claims in the lawsuit that she made complaints about the alleged incident to several stunt coordinators and the film’s intimacy coordinator, and while she received apologies from some crew members, she was not used as a stunt performer for several days.
“This suit is filed not only for the damages Plaintiff has sustained, but to address the continued failures at the highest levels of Hollywood production companies to comprehend and address the impacts of performing in sexually explicit and violent ‘scenes’ and the need for intimacy coordination,” LaBella’s attorney, James A. Vagnini, said in a statement.
Costner’s attorneys disputed the performer’s recount of events, claiming that LaBella had dinner with the film’s stunt coordinator and assistant stunt coordinator the night following the scene and continued to work on “Horizon” for several more weeks. The attorneys also provided screenshots of a text exchange between the coordinator and LaBella in which LaBella thanked the coordinator for hiring her.
“The facts are clear and we are beyond confident that Kevin will prevail,” Costner’s reps said.
LaBella’s lawsuit was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
