Judge Denies Kevin Costner's Bid to Dismiss Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

In a recent legal development, actor Kevin Costner has lost his attempt to dismiss a lawsuit accusing him of sexual harassment. The lawsuit was filed in May 2023 by actress Devyn LaBella, who was working as a stunt double on the set of Costner's film "Horizon 2."

According to the lawsuit, LaBella was asked to stand in for the lead actress, Ella Hunt, after Hunt refused to participate in a particular scene. LaBella alleges that she was then directed to perform in an unscripted rape scene, where an actor was told to pin her down, straddle her, and violently rake up her skirt. LaBella claims she was left traumatized and humiliated by the experience.

Costner's legal team had sought to have the lawsuit thrown out under California's anti-SLAPP law, which is designed to protect free speech from frivolous litigation. However, Judge Jon Takasugi denied the motion, finding that the facts alleged in the lawsuit are sufficient to proceed.

In a statement, one of LaBella's attorneys, Kate McFarlane, applauded the judge's decision, stating that "the creative process cannot and does not give men in power complete impunity to abuse women like Ms. LaBella." Costner's lawyers have argued that the allegations are "patently false" and were made to damage and embarrass the actor.

The judge did, however, throw out one of the 10 causes of action in the lawsuit, an alleged violation of the Bane Act, which is intended to combat hate crimes. The judge found that there was no allegation of a threat of physical violence, which would be required to establish that claim.

As the legal battle continues, the industry and the public will be closely watching to see how this case unfolds and what implications it may have for the treatment of actors and the use of intimacy coordinators on film sets.