The tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins is still continuing to be the subject of legal battles against Alec Baldwin and the crew of Rust over a year after the incident took place. Now, as per Variety, Baldwin is looking to “clear his name” in a suit against him, and has launched his own cross-complaint which lays the blame for what happened at the feet of the person who supplied the bullets for the production and the three crew members who set up the gun.
Alec Baldwin has been the subject of scrutiny since the shooting of Hutchins, which also saw another crew member being injured. Baldwin has always claimed that he was not responsible for the accidental death of the cinematographer, as the props were all set up by other people and he had been relying on those people to do their jobs correctly to ensure everything was safe. In his lawsuit against them, he claims that the incident only happened due to their negligence, and as a result, he has suffered “immense grief” as well as “emotional, physical, and financial toil.” His attorney wrote:
“More than anyone else on that set, Baldwin has been wrongfully viewed as the perpetrator of this tragedy. By these Cross-Claims, Baldwin seeks to clear his name and hold Cross-Defendants accountable for their misconduct.”
The shooting of Hutchins took place on October 21, 2021, when during preparation for a scene Baldwin picked up a Colt.45 revolver which had been set up by the crew with supposedly dummy rounds. Baldwin was said to have pulled back the hammer and released it, which had caused the gun to go off, firing the accidentally included live round into Hutchins and director Joel Souza., who was injured in the shoulder.
Is Alec Baldwin to Blame For The Rust Shooting?
Alec Baldwin was questioned a number of times by police after the incident, and the Santa Fe Country Sheriff’s Office has only recently concluded its investigation, with local prosecutors currently considering whether Baldwin and others will be charged. Baldwin’s new cross-claim is linked to the lawsuit brought against him and crew members by Rust script supervisor Mamie Mitchell, who has said that she was emotionally scarred by the incident, which she said caused her to “fear for her life.”
Baldwin has already attempted to have this suit thrown out on the ground that the accident is covered by the New Mexico workers' compensation scheme, but a judge denied the motion earlier this month, leading the actor to put forward his cross-complaint.
Last month, Baldwin paid tribute to Hutchins on the anniversary of her death, sharing an image of her on his Instagram account with the simple comment, “One year today.” At the same time, the Santa Fe DA’s office put out a statement updating their stance on if there would be any charges being brought against Baldwin or any of the crew of Rust in relation to what was a tragic, but possibly avoidable, accident. Their statement concluded that investigators will “thoroughly review all the evidence and make a thoughtful decision about whether to bring charges against those involved. No one is above the law and every victim deserves justice.”
Rust is expected to resume filming in 2023 at a new location.