Kevin Costner, ‘Horizon 2’ continued the unicenized rape scene

One day in May 2023, the stuntman Devyn Labella presented himself to the whole of Utah Horizon: an American saga – Chapter 2The second part of Kevin Costner’s sprawling western series, expecting to double for one of the film’s stars in some basic and quite annoying shots. Instead, she said, she was surprised to be subject to a scene of brutal rape not scripted without notice, consent or presence of a intimacy coordinator contractually mandated.

Now Labella continues Costner and the film production companies for sexual discrimination, harassment and the creation of a hostile work environment. In addition, the complaint alleys that Labella was faced with reprisals after reporting the incident by not being recalling for subsequent work Horizon series and never hired by the film’s waterfall coordinator again, with whom she had worked before.

“That day, I was exposed, unprotected and deeply betrayed by a system that promised security and professionalism,” Labella said in a press release The Hollywood Reporter. “What happened to me broke my confidence and has always changed the way I cross this industry.”

In a press release, Costner’s lawyer, Marty Singer, said that his client “always wanted to make sure everyone is comfortable working on his films and takes security on the set very seriously.” He says, however, that the trial has “absolutely no merit” and is “completely contradicted by [LaBella’s] own actions – and facts. “”

The costume represents the last legal battle for HorizonAs Costner’s loan company for the series has recently been struck by a request for arbitration for having allegedly violated its co -financing agreement with New Line Cinema. This complaint was filed after the discussions on the regulations of Costner representatives and production companies, explains James Vagnini de Valli Kane & Vagnini, one of the lawyers representing Labella, with the support of the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund.

THE Horizon The series is the decades of Hustle de Costner, a veteran of the Western epic, of Dance with wolves has Hatfields & McCoys has Yellowstone. Without a large studio willing to pay the money he deemed necessary, Costner has invested $ 38 million in his own funds, with the first film in the anemic box office series in June 2024.

An ascending stunt artist who had worked on Barbie And American horror stories, Labella was hired on HorizonThe second episode is double double for actress Ella Hunt, who plays one of the main characters in the film. Hunt’s role involved sexual violence. As part of his contract, the trial maintains, Hunt negotiated a compulsory intimacy coordinator on all naked or intimate scenes, which, as a cascade double, would also apply to Labella. In addition, given that Hunt and Labella are members of the SAG-AFTRA interpreters’ union, their intimate scenes would also be subject to the regulation of the Labor Group, which requires notice, consent and a closed whole.

Everything went through the book for a scripted rape scene which shot on May 1, according to the costume: the scene – where Labella carried out the more physical and approximate aspects of the action – was detailed on the call plate of the day, repeated with a cascade coordinator and an intimacy coordinator, such as the performers were monitored by this intimacy coordinator.

But rules were allegedly thrown out the window the next day, when Labella presented himself on the set for two non -intimate sequences and Costner asked Costner to look for a shot. In Labella’s knowledge, said the complaint, Hunt had just left the set, “visibly upset”, after Costner told him that he had just added an impromptu sex violence perpetuated by a character different from the scene of the day before.

Labella, responsible for lengthening on a cart, would have discovered that it was a rape scene after Costner called the actor Roger Ivens to simulate non -consensual sex in addition to her: “Mr. Ivens violently whispered by the skirt of Mrs. Labella, as if the complaints tried to penetrate it. No opinion had not been given, the scene had not been given, no coordinator intimacy was not on the set and all the action was released on monitors who could be considered by the whole crew, according to the trial.

Costner’s lawyer maintains that it was a rehearsal without the cameras driving and not a filmed scene itself. The film’s waterfall coordinators were present, he added. After this rehearsal, Labella “gave his stuntman supervisor a” boost “and indicated his desire to shoot the stage, if necessary,” he said; The scene ended up being filmed with a standard artist and not Labella.

The trial stresses that Costner did not systematically call “action” or “cut” during this process, leaving Labella without time to fully understand what was going on as the action was repeated. Meanwhile, “Mr. Ivens never separated from Ms. Labella, ”says the costume, constantly keeping his hand on her body. In addition, the complaint affirms that the wardrobe service had not prepared the labella so that its underwear were exposed because they were by the instructions that Costner gave to Ivens.

The complaint describes Labella as shaken and “terrified” after this experience. Subsequently, she raised concerns and made complaints to several cascade coordinators and the film’s intimacy coordinator, later believing that many in the production team treated her with children’s gloves, said the costume. She received apologies from colleagues from the film, but was invited to stay in her trailer, fully costumed and not used on the set for several days, says the complaint.

The singer disputes that Labella filed a complaint with the film’s waterfall coordinators, saying: “She was in a good mood and made no complaints to them” during a dinner at night after the scene. He said that Labella took the Wade Allen cascade coordinator at a thank you dinner after the production, and sent him an SMS indicating: “Thank you for these wonderful weeks!”

In the end, Labella was not recalled for the third film in the series, and Allen no longer hired her, although he had hired her for projects before Horizon.

The trial alleys that Labella’s career stopped “brutal” after the incident. Not only did Allen hired him again, but “the workplace and the work of a waterfall in general, which was once a source of goal and fulfillment, is now an increased place of apprehension and all the experience has left Ms. Labella feeling” disposable “and` `without value”, indicates the complaint.

If the case is judged, Labella and his lawyers ask the jury to determine any potential punitive damage. Beyond the remuneration, the aim of the prosecution is also to “face continuous failures at the highest level of Hollywood production companies to understand and meet the impacts of performance in sexually explicit and violent” scenes “and the need for intimacy coordination”, indicates the complaint.

The use of intimacy coordinators in Hollywood exploded after the #MeToo movement caused a revaluation of the dynamics of power on the set. The intimate choreography scenes, intimacy coordinators are intended to be childcare dogs for the safety and comfort of the interpreters. While some famous artists kissed them (Rachel Zegler, Phoebe Dynevor), others have signaled them or said they did not need them, like Mikey Madison and Sean Bean.

According to the trial, in this case, an intimacy coordinator was mandated by an interpreter contract, amplifying the protections of existing unions. Said Jennifer Mondino, principal director of the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, who supported the case: “The directives which are supposed to be followed on regular cinema sets were not followed.”

Add the avocado of Labella Vagnini, “if this can happen on a size of a production worth 100 million dollars or more, imagine what is happening on the little ones where you really try to cut the corners.”

As for Singer, he says, “The facts are clear and we are more confident than Kevin will prevail.”