Kevin Costner is speaking out strongly against the lawsuit filed by a stunt performer on his Horizon sequel, who alleges she was made to participate in an unscripted rape scene without the required notice or consent, and without an intimacy coordinator present. In a legal declaration cited by outlets including the Guardian, People, and Deadline, Costner says Devyn LaBella's lawsuit should be either dismissed entirely or weakened under anti-SLAPP laws, which are meant to protect people against lawsuits aimed at intimidating them for exercising their First Amendment rights. Costner says LaBella texted her supervisor on the film to thank them just nine days after the scene, insisting the text shows she felt only "enthusiasm and gratitude." LaBella has previously said she felt she had no choice but to maintain a professional attitude as the movie continued filming.
Costner, however, insists the lawsuit is a "bold-faced lie ... designed, through the use of false statements and sensationalistic language, to damage my reputation." He adds, "LaBella's opportunistic and salacious lawsuit is just as fictional as the motion picture at the center of this dispute." The incident in question, he insists, was simply "build-up and foretelling of two violent rapes that occur off-screen," during which LaBella was "laughing and smiling" while shots were blocked. But in June, the film's intimacy coordinator had agreed with LaBella, describing the scene as an "unscheduled, unplanned violent rape scene ... unexpectedly sprung on the actors and stunt professionals." LaBella, she said, "did not consent to the action that was directed once she was in place" and did not have the appopriate modesty garments. The film premiered at the Venice film festival last year but has no general release date.
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