Alec Baldwin trying to clear name in Rust suit

ACTOR Alec Baldwin is taking legal action for the first time in last year’s fatal on-set shooting incident that resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

People magazine reported on court documents that stated that the 64-year-old star was seeking “to clear his name” following the incident that occured on the set of the western film Rust in October 2021. The actor was handling a prop gun during rehearsals when it misfired, killing Hutchins and wounding writer-director Joel Souza.

Baldwin has always maintained his innocence, repeatedly stating that he believed the gun to be loaded with blanks, and that he never placed his finger on the trigger.

The filing lists armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, assistant director David Halls, prop master Sarah Zachry and armorer assistant Seth Kenney in the cross-complaint.

The document further claimed: “This tragedy happened because live bullets were delivered to the set and loaded into the gun, Gutierrez-Reed failed to check the bullets or the gun carefully, Halls failed to check the gun carefully and yet announced the gun was safe before handing it to Baldwin, and Zachry failed to disclose that Gutierrez-Reed had been acting recklessly off set and was a safety risk to those around her.”

Santa Fe County District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwie said in September that Baldwin could face criminal charges in the fatal shooting. Additionally, he and the film’s producers have faced several lawsuits, including one filed by Hutchins’ family for wrongful death, which was settled last month.

Despite the wave of lawsuits relating to the shooting, filming on Rust is set to resume next January, with Baldwin and filmmakers describing it as a tribute to the late Hutchins. Her widower Matthew Hutchins, with whom she shares son Andros, will now be an executive producer on the production, with proceeds intended to be set aside for their child.

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