Who is Devyn LaBella? All about stuntwoman suing Kevin Costner and Horizon over unscripted r*pe scene

Kevin Costner and his Horizon franchise are in new legal trouble, with Devyn LaBella suing them over a “violent unscripted, unscheduled r*pe scene.” According to Deadline, the stunt woman filed a complaint against the Oscar-winning director after an alleged incident that happened on May 2, 2023. LaBella told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement,

“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.”

For those unaware, Devyn is a stunt performer, actress, and producer. She has contributed as a stunt double, coordinator, and performer on numerous projects, including Barbie, The Rookie, 9-1-1, Yellowjackets, LA’s Finest, and many more. At the same time, Devyn LaBella has also done acting work, starting as a child artist.

She guest appeared in Friends’ The One With Rachel's Inadvertent Kiss (Season 5 Episode 17) as the little girl. LaBella was featured in three episodes of American Horror Stories portraying Crawling Feral and the double for Rubberwoman. Her other acting credits include CSI Vegas, Quantum Leap (2022 series), After Lately, and many more.

Devyn LaBella is also a former athlete, having won multiple California State Champion titles as a gymnast while also being a Junior Olympian in track and field. In a 2018 conversation with active wear brand Ellie, she said,

“My mom put me in gymnastics at just three as it seemed like the perfect fit for me. I also loved track and field. For years, I trained in both sports, eventually winning a few California State Champion titles in gymnastics and going to the Junior Olympics in Track and Field.”

Devyn married Alex Goyette, a director-screenwriter, in March 2022. The pair also collaborated on Aliwood, a TV series directed by Goyette.

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Devyn LaBella detailed the incident in the complaint filed in her lawsuit against Kevin Costner and Horizon

The American Horror Stories alum was reportedly hired as a stunt double for Ella Hunt on Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2. According to Deadline, the filming took place in Utah, where LaBella also joined before the alleged incident happened in May 2023. The complaint reads,

“[On] May (sic) 2, 2023, plaintiff Devyn LaBella, a female stunt performer, was the victim of a violent unscripted, unscheduled rape scene directed by Kevin Costner (‘Mr. Costner’), owner, chief Executive officer and Secretary of Horizon Series, Inc.”

It continues,

“The impact of this impromptu work demand on Ms. Labella has been profound, not only upending a career Ms. LaBella spent years building but leaving her with permanent trauma that she will be required to address for years to come.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ella Hunt had reportedly negotiated for a “mandatory intimacy coordinator” in her contract for all scenes involving nudity or intimacy.

The outlet highlighted that the lawsuit suggested the agreement also applies to Devyn LaBella, who was acting as Hunt’s double. Additionally, due to both actresses’ SAG-AFTRA membership, the scenes involving them were subject to the labor unions’ regulations.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, LaBella’s complaint suggested that everything went per the rulebook for a scripted r*pe scene that was shot on May 1, 2023. Per the lawsuit, there were rehearsals with stunt and intimacy coordinators followed by monitoring by the intimacy coordinator while it was filmed on a closed set. The issue was the unscripted r*pe scene that was shot on May 2, 2023.

The complaint recounts the sudden change in the script and how it received a reaction from Ella Hunt (via Deadline),

“Due to the ad hoc and violent nature of the sudden script change request, along with the failure to secure a contractually required intimacy coordinator for the scene, Ms. Hunt became visibly upset and walked off the set, refusing to do the scene.”

LaBella was then asked by Costner to stand in for Hunt in the scene. The 28-page complaint also details what Devyn LaBella experienced through the alleged incident. According to her filing (via Deadline),

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

Amid Kevin Costner’s legal battle with New Line Cinema, his attorney Marty Singer gave a statement to Deadline on the lawsuit filed by LaBella,

“Our client Kevin Costner always wants to make sure that everyone is comfortable working on his films and takes safety on set very seriously. However, this claim by Devyn LaBella has absolutely no merit, and it is completely contradicted by her own actions – and the facts.”

Singer reportedly called LaBella a “serial accuser of people in the entertainment industry” and stated the narrative from Costner’s side. He also asserted that “Kevin will prevail.” On the other hand, Devyn LaBella’s lawyer, Kate McFarlane, said (via Deadline)

“This case is a clear example of male-dominated, s*xist Hollywood movie production. Our client was subjected to brutal s*xual conduct completely unprotected from the obvious harm. This happened despite the fact that there exists standards of conduct and behavior specifically designed to protect people like Devyn LaBella.”

Per The Hollywood Reporter, it was also alleged that LaBella was not hired again on the Horizon series after she initially reported the incident.