Alec Baldwin Makes Bold Claim About Halyna Hutchins' Role In The Rust Incident
Controversy continued to swirl around Alec Baldwin, as the lawsuits surrounding the death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of "Rust" grew in numbers. Baldwin was holding the gun that discharged the fatal round that killed Hutchins and injured the film's director, Joel Souza, but the actor believed he was not to blame for the incident. "Someone is ​responsible for what happened, and I can't say who that is, but I know it's not me," Baldwin told ABC News in December 2021. In fact, the "30 Rock" star claimed that Hutchins instructed him where to point the weapon. "She's guiding me through how she wants me to hold the gun for this angle," the film's star said, while adding he believed it was a "cold gun" containing dummy (non-live) rounds.
The film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, claimed that live rounds making their way to the "Rust" set was the fault of the weapons provider. Gutierrez Reed filed a lawsuit against PDQ Arm & Prop on January 12, per the Los Angeles Times. She claimed that a box of ammunition labeled as "dummies" actually contained seven live rounds among 43 dummies.
On February 15, the Hutchins family filed a lawsuit against "Rust" producers that included Baldwin. The suit directly named the actor for being at fault. "Alec Baldwin recklessly shot and killed Halyna Hutchins on the set," the lawsuit alleged, per USA Today. Later, the actor filed a claim himself that detailed Hutchins' supposed involvement in the incident.
What Halyna Hutchins allegedly instructed Alec Baldwin to do
Alec Baldwin's lawyers filed an arbitration claim that sought to protect him from any financial responsibility in Halyna Hutchins' untimely death. According to the claim, the contract that Baldwin signed as the producer of "Rust" absolved him from monetary responsibility for the on-set accident, per TMZ.
The documents alleged that Hutchins instructed the actor where to aim the gun that fatally shot her. "She directed Baldwin to hold the gun higher, to a point where it was directed toward her," the files claimed, per TMZ. Allegedly, the cinematographer "was looking carefully at the monitor" while she "gave these instructions" to Baldwin, which led to the gun being aimed at her. Per the filings, Hutchins was comfortable with Baldwin pointing the weapon towards her because she believed it posed no threat. "In giving and following these instructions, Hutchins and Baldwin shared a core, vital belief: that the gun was 'cold' and contained no live rounds," the arbitration papers read.
Hearing the "Boss Baby" star claim no responsibility in the accident that killed his wife did not sit well with Matthew Hutchins. "The idea that the person holding the gun and causing it to discharge is not responsible is absurd to me," the cinematographer's husband told "Today" on February 23. The widowed Hutchins was upset after seeing Baldwin's ABC News interview, where he claimed no fault in the shooting. "I was just so angry to see him talk about her death ... and then to not accept any responsibility," he said.