Alec Baldwin's Theory On The Rust Lawsuits Has People Furious
Alec Baldwin has not been able to escape the finger of blame since the fatal on-set shooting of "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021. The incident, which also critically wounded the film's director Joel Souza, remains under police investigation, per The Hollywood Reporter, but Baldwin's legal woes and standing with the court of public opinion have only worsened over time.
"Rust" script supervisor Mami Mitchell, for one, filed a lawsuit in November 2021 against Baldwin and the film's other producers, per The Guardian, alleging that Baldwin "intentionally, without just cause or excuse, cocked and fired the loaded gun even though the upcoming scene to be filmed did not call for the cocking and firing of the firearm." Then, on February 15, Hutchins' widower Matthew Hutchins also sued Baldwin and the "Rust" producers, accusing each of failing "to perform industry standard safety checks and follow basic gun safety rules while using real guns," per CNBC.
For his part, Baldwin has maintained his innocence in what he has described as an accidental tragedy, telling ABC News in December 2021 that "someone is responsible, but I know it's not me," while also adding, "I would never point a gun at anyone and pull a trigger at them." Well, the "Boss Baby" star has spoken out again about the incident — and his latest remarks are anything but crowd-pleasing.
Alec Baldwin gets skewered for saying Rust lawsuits are about money
Alec Baldwin isn't helping himself whenever he speaks out on the "Rust" shooting. At a moderated event at the Boulder International Film Festival on March 5, Baldwin alleged that the multiple lawsuits against him arose out of an interest in money. "What you have is a certain group of litigants on whatever side... their attitude is, well, the people who likely seem negligent have enough money," Baldwin said (via The Hollywood Reporter), adding rhetorically, "Why sue people if you're not going to get money?"
Well, we dare you to find one tweet supporting Baldwin after these comments. Criticizing the actor for saying the shooting had "two victims and nobody else is a victim, so to speak," one user tweeted, "Alec Baldwin's newest interview about the lawsuit is incredibly disgusting and wrong. Every person who was in that room is a victim. He is criminally responsible but he is not the only one, so are the props master and person that handed the gun over to Baldwin." Another mockingly wrote, "People are murdered every day, so what's wrong with a few deaths on a Hollywood set?"
At least Baldwin's Instagram followers are still focusing on his life's positives. Posting an aerial view from his plane as it descended upon New York City on March 6, one such fan commented, "I am glad you finally posted again. I saw you in Miami Blues last night, I wondered how you were doing...."