logo
Kevin Costner's lawyer slams sexual harassment claims

Kevin Costner's lawyer slams sexual harassment claims

The Advertiser3 days ago

Kevin Costner's lawyer has described of sexual harassment allegation against the actor as "meritless".
The Yellowstone actor is being sued by Devyn LaBella, who has claimed she was subjected to a "violent, unscripted, unscheduled rape scene" without notice on set in May 2023 while filming Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2.
The 24-year-old stuntwoman's team first filed the lawsuit against Costner and Horizon producers in May and have filed an amended complaint including text messages with the movie's intimacy co-ordinator, and the alleged emotions she felt after the scene.
In response, Costner's lawyer Marty Singer told DailyMail.com in a statement: "Ms LaBella was doing a rehearsal on an insert shot for a scripted scene. There was no intimacy or anything sexual in the shot.
"There was tugging on a dress while she was fully clothed in a dress with long bloomers lying down next to a male actor."
The lawyer has also alleged that LaBella - who was a stunt double for series star Ella Hunt - thanked her supervisor for "these wonderful weeks" after finishing work on the Western saga.
"Numerous witnesses have contradicted Ms LaBella's meritless claims," Singer said.
"We look forward to the swift end of this specious lawsuit.'
Court documents obtained by DailyMail.com say LaBella was hired as a stunt double for lead actress Ella Hunt and not informed or consented to the added scene, which she alleges caused "permanent trauma".
She also claimed the absence of an intimacy co-ordinator during filming.
Her suit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, states the scene was not on the call sheet and Hunt refused to perform it, allegedly walking off set.
She said Costner directed actor Roger Ivens to perform the assault scene and asked her to stand in without adequate preparation or safeguards.
Kevin's lawyer Marty Singer denied the allegations, calling her a "serial accuser" and accusing her of "shakedown tactics".
"Kevin always wants to make sure that everyone is comfortable working on his films and takes safety on set very seriously," he said.
Her lawyers described the case as "emblematic of what is still a very deep-rooted issue in Hollywood" and "a clear example of male-dominated, sexist Hollywood movie production".
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Kevin Costner's lawyer has described of sexual harassment allegation against the actor as "meritless".
The Yellowstone actor is being sued by Devyn LaBella, who has claimed she was subjected to a "violent, unscripted, unscheduled rape scene" without notice on set in May 2023 while filming Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2.
The 24-year-old stuntwoman's team first filed the lawsuit against Costner and Horizon producers in May and have filed an amended complaint including text messages with the movie's intimacy co-ordinator, and the alleged emotions she felt after the scene.
In response, Costner's lawyer Marty Singer told DailyMail.com in a statement: "Ms LaBella was doing a rehearsal on an insert shot for a scripted scene. There was no intimacy or anything sexual in the shot.
"There was tugging on a dress while she was fully clothed in a dress with long bloomers lying down next to a male actor."
The lawyer has also alleged that LaBella - who was a stunt double for series star Ella Hunt - thanked her supervisor for "these wonderful weeks" after finishing work on the Western saga.
"Numerous witnesses have contradicted Ms LaBella's meritless claims," Singer said.
"We look forward to the swift end of this specious lawsuit.'
Court documents obtained by DailyMail.com say LaBella was hired as a stunt double for lead actress Ella Hunt and not informed or consented to the added scene, which she alleges caused "permanent trauma".
She also claimed the absence of an intimacy co-ordinator during filming.
Her suit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, states the scene was not on the call sheet and Hunt refused to perform it, allegedly walking off set.
She said Costner directed actor Roger Ivens to perform the assault scene and asked her to stand in without adequate preparation or safeguards.
Kevin's lawyer Marty Singer denied the allegations, calling her a "serial accuser" and accusing her of "shakedown tactics".
"Kevin always wants to make sure that everyone is comfortable working on his films and takes safety on set very seriously," he said.
Her lawyers described the case as "emblematic of what is still a very deep-rooted issue in Hollywood" and "a clear example of male-dominated, sexist Hollywood movie production".
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Kevin Costner's lawyer has described of sexual harassment allegation against the actor as "meritless".
The Yellowstone actor is being sued by Devyn LaBella, who has claimed she was subjected to a "violent, unscripted, unscheduled rape scene" without notice on set in May 2023 while filming Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2.
The 24-year-old stuntwoman's team first filed the lawsuit against Costner and Horizon producers in May and have filed an amended complaint including text messages with the movie's intimacy co-ordinator, and the alleged emotions she felt after the scene.
In response, Costner's lawyer Marty Singer told DailyMail.com in a statement: "Ms LaBella was doing a rehearsal on an insert shot for a scripted scene. There was no intimacy or anything sexual in the shot.
"There was tugging on a dress while she was fully clothed in a dress with long bloomers lying down next to a male actor."
The lawyer has also alleged that LaBella - who was a stunt double for series star Ella Hunt - thanked her supervisor for "these wonderful weeks" after finishing work on the Western saga.
"Numerous witnesses have contradicted Ms LaBella's meritless claims," Singer said.
"We look forward to the swift end of this specious lawsuit.'
Court documents obtained by DailyMail.com say LaBella was hired as a stunt double for lead actress Ella Hunt and not informed or consented to the added scene, which she alleges caused "permanent trauma".
She also claimed the absence of an intimacy co-ordinator during filming.
Her suit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, states the scene was not on the call sheet and Hunt refused to perform it, allegedly walking off set.
She said Costner directed actor Roger Ivens to perform the assault scene and asked her to stand in without adequate preparation or safeguards.
Kevin's lawyer Marty Singer denied the allegations, calling her a "serial accuser" and accusing her of "shakedown tactics".
"Kevin always wants to make sure that everyone is comfortable working on his films and takes safety on set very seriously," he said.
Her lawyers described the case as "emblematic of what is still a very deep-rooted issue in Hollywood" and "a clear example of male-dominated, sexist Hollywood movie production".
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Kevin Costner's lawyer has described of sexual harassment allegation against the actor as "meritless".
The Yellowstone actor is being sued by Devyn LaBella, who has claimed she was subjected to a "violent, unscripted, unscheduled rape scene" without notice on set in May 2023 while filming Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2.
The 24-year-old stuntwoman's team first filed the lawsuit against Costner and Horizon producers in May and have filed an amended complaint including text messages with the movie's intimacy co-ordinator, and the alleged emotions she felt after the scene.
In response, Costner's lawyer Marty Singer told DailyMail.com in a statement: "Ms LaBella was doing a rehearsal on an insert shot for a scripted scene. There was no intimacy or anything sexual in the shot.
"There was tugging on a dress while she was fully clothed in a dress with long bloomers lying down next to a male actor."
The lawyer has also alleged that LaBella - who was a stunt double for series star Ella Hunt - thanked her supervisor for "these wonderful weeks" after finishing work on the Western saga.
"Numerous witnesses have contradicted Ms LaBella's meritless claims," Singer said.
"We look forward to the swift end of this specious lawsuit.'
Court documents obtained by DailyMail.com say LaBella was hired as a stunt double for lead actress Ella Hunt and not informed or consented to the added scene, which she alleges caused "permanent trauma".
She also claimed the absence of an intimacy co-ordinator during filming.
Her suit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, states the scene was not on the call sheet and Hunt refused to perform it, allegedly walking off set.
She said Costner directed actor Roger Ivens to perform the assault scene and asked her to stand in without adequate preparation or safeguards.
Kevin's lawyer Marty Singer denied the allegations, calling her a "serial accuser" and accusing her of "shakedown tactics".
"Kevin always wants to make sure that everyone is comfortable working on his films and takes safety on set very seriously," he said.
Her lawyers described the case as "emblematic of what is still a very deep-rooted issue in Hollywood" and "a clear example of male-dominated, sexist Hollywood movie production".
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Diddy's lawyer says charges 'badly exaggerated'
Diddy's lawyer says charges 'badly exaggerated'

The Advertiser

time2 days ago

  • The Advertiser

Diddy's lawyer says charges 'badly exaggerated'

Sean "Diddy" Combs has been portrayed in his lawyer's closing argument as the victim of an overzealous prosecution that tried to turn the recreational use of drugs and a swinger lifestyle into a racketeering conspiracy that could put the music mogul behind bars for life. Lawyer Marc Angifilo mocked the government's case against Combs and belittled the agents who seized hundreds of bottles of Astroglide lubricant and baby oil at the hip hop impresario's properties. "Way to go, fellas," Agnifilo said as he began a presentation expected to last several hours. He said prosecutors had "badly exaggerated" evidence of the swinger lifestyle and threesomes to combine it with recreational drug use and call it a racketeering conspiracy. "He did not do the things he's charged with. He didn't do racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking," the lawyer said. Agnifilo also called Combs' prosecution a "fake trial" and ridiculed the notion that he engaged in racketeering. "Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?" Agnifilo asked. "Did any witness get on that witness stand and say yes, I was part of a racketeering enterprise - I engaged in racketeering?" No, Agnifilo argued, telling jurors that those accusations were a figment of the prosecution's imagination. Combs' family, including six of his children and his mother, were in the audience for the closing. All his life Combs has taken care of people, Agnifilo said, including the ex-girlfriend who testified under the pseudonym Jane, whose rent he is paying. "I don't know what Jane is doing today," Agnifilo said. "But she's doing it in a house he's paying for." Referring to lawsuits filed by Combs' accusers, he said: "This isn't about crime. It's about money. This is about money." He noted that Combs' girlfriend of nearly 11 years - Casandra "Cassie" Ventura - sued him in a lawsuit that was settled for $US20 million ($A31 million) in a day in November 2023, triggering a federal probe the following day. "If you had to pick a winner in this whole thing, it's hard not to pick Cassie," Agnifilo said. Cassie and Jane both testified during the trial that they were coerced repeatedly by Combs to perform in drug-fuelled days-long sex marathons with male sex workers while Combs watched and sometimes filmed the encounters. If convicted, Combs could face a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life. He did not testify during the trial that is in its seventh week. After Agnifilo completes his closing, Assistant US Attorney Maurene Comey was expected to deliver a rebuttal summation before the judge reads the law to the jury, which is not expected to begin deliberations until Monday. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Sean "Diddy" Combs has been portrayed in his lawyer's closing argument as the victim of an overzealous prosecution that tried to turn the recreational use of drugs and a swinger lifestyle into a racketeering conspiracy that could put the music mogul behind bars for life. Lawyer Marc Angifilo mocked the government's case against Combs and belittled the agents who seized hundreds of bottles of Astroglide lubricant and baby oil at the hip hop impresario's properties. "Way to go, fellas," Agnifilo said as he began a presentation expected to last several hours. He said prosecutors had "badly exaggerated" evidence of the swinger lifestyle and threesomes to combine it with recreational drug use and call it a racketeering conspiracy. "He did not do the things he's charged with. He didn't do racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking," the lawyer said. Agnifilo also called Combs' prosecution a "fake trial" and ridiculed the notion that he engaged in racketeering. "Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?" Agnifilo asked. "Did any witness get on that witness stand and say yes, I was part of a racketeering enterprise - I engaged in racketeering?" No, Agnifilo argued, telling jurors that those accusations were a figment of the prosecution's imagination. Combs' family, including six of his children and his mother, were in the audience for the closing. All his life Combs has taken care of people, Agnifilo said, including the ex-girlfriend who testified under the pseudonym Jane, whose rent he is paying. "I don't know what Jane is doing today," Agnifilo said. "But she's doing it in a house he's paying for." Referring to lawsuits filed by Combs' accusers, he said: "This isn't about crime. It's about money. This is about money." He noted that Combs' girlfriend of nearly 11 years - Casandra "Cassie" Ventura - sued him in a lawsuit that was settled for $US20 million ($A31 million) in a day in November 2023, triggering a federal probe the following day. "If you had to pick a winner in this whole thing, it's hard not to pick Cassie," Agnifilo said. Cassie and Jane both testified during the trial that they were coerced repeatedly by Combs to perform in drug-fuelled days-long sex marathons with male sex workers while Combs watched and sometimes filmed the encounters. If convicted, Combs could face a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life. He did not testify during the trial that is in its seventh week. After Agnifilo completes his closing, Assistant US Attorney Maurene Comey was expected to deliver a rebuttal summation before the judge reads the law to the jury, which is not expected to begin deliberations until Monday. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Sean "Diddy" Combs has been portrayed in his lawyer's closing argument as the victim of an overzealous prosecution that tried to turn the recreational use of drugs and a swinger lifestyle into a racketeering conspiracy that could put the music mogul behind bars for life. Lawyer Marc Angifilo mocked the government's case against Combs and belittled the agents who seized hundreds of bottles of Astroglide lubricant and baby oil at the hip hop impresario's properties. "Way to go, fellas," Agnifilo said as he began a presentation expected to last several hours. He said prosecutors had "badly exaggerated" evidence of the swinger lifestyle and threesomes to combine it with recreational drug use and call it a racketeering conspiracy. "He did not do the things he's charged with. He didn't do racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking," the lawyer said. Agnifilo also called Combs' prosecution a "fake trial" and ridiculed the notion that he engaged in racketeering. "Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?" Agnifilo asked. "Did any witness get on that witness stand and say yes, I was part of a racketeering enterprise - I engaged in racketeering?" No, Agnifilo argued, telling jurors that those accusations were a figment of the prosecution's imagination. Combs' family, including six of his children and his mother, were in the audience for the closing. All his life Combs has taken care of people, Agnifilo said, including the ex-girlfriend who testified under the pseudonym Jane, whose rent he is paying. "I don't know what Jane is doing today," Agnifilo said. "But she's doing it in a house he's paying for." Referring to lawsuits filed by Combs' accusers, he said: "This isn't about crime. It's about money. This is about money." He noted that Combs' girlfriend of nearly 11 years - Casandra "Cassie" Ventura - sued him in a lawsuit that was settled for $US20 million ($A31 million) in a day in November 2023, triggering a federal probe the following day. "If you had to pick a winner in this whole thing, it's hard not to pick Cassie," Agnifilo said. Cassie and Jane both testified during the trial that they were coerced repeatedly by Combs to perform in drug-fuelled days-long sex marathons with male sex workers while Combs watched and sometimes filmed the encounters. If convicted, Combs could face a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life. He did not testify during the trial that is in its seventh week. After Agnifilo completes his closing, Assistant US Attorney Maurene Comey was expected to deliver a rebuttal summation before the judge reads the law to the jury, which is not expected to begin deliberations until Monday. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Sean "Diddy" Combs has been portrayed in his lawyer's closing argument as the victim of an overzealous prosecution that tried to turn the recreational use of drugs and a swinger lifestyle into a racketeering conspiracy that could put the music mogul behind bars for life. Lawyer Marc Angifilo mocked the government's case against Combs and belittled the agents who seized hundreds of bottles of Astroglide lubricant and baby oil at the hip hop impresario's properties. "Way to go, fellas," Agnifilo said as he began a presentation expected to last several hours. He said prosecutors had "badly exaggerated" evidence of the swinger lifestyle and threesomes to combine it with recreational drug use and call it a racketeering conspiracy. "He did not do the things he's charged with. He didn't do racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking," the lawyer said. Agnifilo also called Combs' prosecution a "fake trial" and ridiculed the notion that he engaged in racketeering. "Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?" Agnifilo asked. "Did any witness get on that witness stand and say yes, I was part of a racketeering enterprise - I engaged in racketeering?" No, Agnifilo argued, telling jurors that those accusations were a figment of the prosecution's imagination. Combs' family, including six of his children and his mother, were in the audience for the closing. All his life Combs has taken care of people, Agnifilo said, including the ex-girlfriend who testified under the pseudonym Jane, whose rent he is paying. "I don't know what Jane is doing today," Agnifilo said. "But she's doing it in a house he's paying for." Referring to lawsuits filed by Combs' accusers, he said: "This isn't about crime. It's about money. This is about money." He noted that Combs' girlfriend of nearly 11 years - Casandra "Cassie" Ventura - sued him in a lawsuit that was settled for $US20 million ($A31 million) in a day in November 2023, triggering a federal probe the following day. "If you had to pick a winner in this whole thing, it's hard not to pick Cassie," Agnifilo said. Cassie and Jane both testified during the trial that they were coerced repeatedly by Combs to perform in drug-fuelled days-long sex marathons with male sex workers while Combs watched and sometimes filmed the encounters. If convicted, Combs could face a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life. He did not testify during the trial that is in its seventh week. After Agnifilo completes his closing, Assistant US Attorney Maurene Comey was expected to deliver a rebuttal summation before the judge reads the law to the jury, which is not expected to begin deliberations until Monday. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028

Diddy's lawyer says charges 'badly exaggerated'
Diddy's lawyer says charges 'badly exaggerated'

Perth Now

time2 days ago

  • Perth Now

Diddy's lawyer says charges 'badly exaggerated'

Sean "Diddy" Combs has been portrayed in his lawyer's closing argument as the victim of an overzealous prosecution that tried to turn the recreational use of drugs and a swinger lifestyle into a racketeering conspiracy that could put the music mogul behind bars for life. Lawyer Marc Angifilo mocked the government's case against Combs and belittled the agents who seized hundreds of bottles of Astroglide lubricant and baby oil at the hip hop impresario's properties. "Way to go, fellas," Agnifilo said as he began a presentation expected to last several hours. He said prosecutors had "badly exaggerated" evidence of the swinger lifestyle and threesomes to combine it with recreational drug use and call it a racketeering conspiracy. "He did not do the things he's charged with. He didn't do racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking," the lawyer said. Agnifilo also called Combs' prosecution a "fake trial" and ridiculed the notion that he engaged in racketeering. "Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?" Agnifilo asked. "Did any witness get on that witness stand and say yes, I was part of a racketeering enterprise - I engaged in racketeering?" No, Agnifilo argued, telling jurors that those accusations were a figment of the prosecution's imagination. Combs' family, including six of his children and his mother, were in the audience for the closing. All his life Combs has taken care of people, Agnifilo said, including the ex-girlfriend who testified under the pseudonym Jane, whose rent he is paying. "I don't know what Jane is doing today," Agnifilo said. "But she's doing it in a house he's paying for." Referring to lawsuits filed by Combs' accusers, he said: "This isn't about crime. It's about money. This is about money." He noted that Combs' girlfriend of nearly 11 years - Casandra "Cassie" Ventura - sued him in a lawsuit that was settled for $US20 million ($A31 million) in a day in November 2023, triggering a federal probe the following day. "If you had to pick a winner in this whole thing, it's hard not to pick Cassie," Agnifilo said. Cassie and Jane both testified during the trial that they were coerced repeatedly by Combs to perform in drug-fuelled days-long sex marathons with male sex workers while Combs watched and sometimes filmed the encounters. If convicted, Combs could face a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life. He did not testify during the trial that is in its seventh week. After Agnifilo completes his closing, Assistant US Attorney Maurene Comey was expected to deliver a rebuttal summation before the judge reads the law to the jury, which is not expected to begin deliberations until Monday. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028

Bizarre way couple settled surname debate at their wedding
Bizarre way couple settled surname debate at their wedding

Perth Now

time2 days ago

  • Perth Now

Bizarre way couple settled surname debate at their wedding

A British couple has gone viral after settling the question of whose surname to take at their wedding with a game of rock, paper, scissors. The unorthodox moment played out right at the altar, leaving guests in shock as the pair tossed aside tradition and opted for a best-of-three showdown to choose their family name. 'Ro Sham Bo to see who takes whose last name, Hunter versus Pearce,' a wedding guest is heard saying in the clip shared on social media. The groom, Pearce, took the lead by winning the first round, but it was the bride, Hunter, who ultimately came out on top. 'Congratulations Mr and Mrs Hunter,' reads the on-screen caption, as the crowd bursts into cheers and the newlyweds share a hug and kiss. While many Western traditions still involve the woman taking her husband's surname after marriage, a growing number of couples have been embracing an egalitarian approach in recent years. The viral clip has ignited plenty of discussion online, with viewers both praising and questioning the couple's unconventional choice. 'Love this! Let's normalise this kind of secure masculinity! Solid green flag!' one user commented. While another user wrote, 'Can we talk about what a green flag groom is? No sore loser tantrum, just hugs and kisses, celebrating his gorgeous wife. Very well done!' Not everyone was impressed, though. 'Imagine having to take your father in law's last name as a man,' one user commented. 'Ancestors rolling in their graves at this,' another wrote. Others floated a compromise: 'Pearce-Hunter would be pretty cool, just saying.' While comprehensive data on the trend in Australia is still limited, Flinders University professor Yvonne Corcoran-Nantes told the ABC in 2016 that over 80 per cent of Australian women continue to take their husband's surname after marriage. Similar patterns have been observed internationally. A 2023 report from the Pew Research Centre found that 80 per cent of women in heterosexual marriages in the United States adopted their husband's surname, while a 2019 UK survey cited in Sage Journals put that figure even higher — closer to 90 per cent.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store