Alec Baldwin May Lose More Than His Freedom Over Shooting, Thanks To New Legal Action
Alec Baldwin is now involved in another civil suit from the shooting incident on the set of Rust.
Alec Baldwin is being sued for negligence and battery concerning the fatal shooting of the Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The civil suit, which was filed by her family in the Los Angeles Superior Court, also includes armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, first assistant director David Halls, the film’s producers, and others who may have been responsible for the deadly accident.
The new lawsuit against Alec Baldwin is separate from the wrongful death claim by the Hutchins estate which was settled in October 2022. The current legal action seeks compensation for her parents and sister. “The [first] settlement was for Matthew and his child,” Gloria Allred explained via Deadline. “We are now representing others in the family. There has been no settlement for them.”
The 23-page filing asks for unspecified damages from Alec Baldwin and the other defendants in an amount to be proven at trial. This includes, without limitation, the direct harm to the relationship between Halyna Hutchins and her surviving mother, father, and younger sister as well as the resulting emotional distress due to the loss of love, companionship, and more.
Detailing the conditions of the family in war-torn Ukraine, Allred noted that Halyna Hutchins intended to bring her relatives to the U.S. She also said that there has been no outreach or apology from Alec Baldwin. “We want accountability and justice for them,” the attorney explained. The Hutchins family lawsuit is one of many legal challenges the actor is facing.
Alec Baldwin, who has strongly denied firing the weapon, was charged with involuntary manslaughter by Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies in January. His lawyer, Luke Nikas described the charges as a terrible miscarriage of justice. “Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun, or anywhere on the movie set,” the attorney said via Entertainment Weekly.
Alec Baldwin has vowed to fight the charges as blame for the shooting has been playing out in court. In November 2022, the 64-year-old filed a lawsuit against Gutierrez Reed, David Halls, prop supplier Seth Kenney and prop master, Sarah Zachry. According to the Daily Mail, he alleges negligence and seeks damages for the “immense grief” he endured.
The death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust occurred when a real bullet made its way onto the set of the Western drama. And through a cascade of mistakes, Alec Baldwin fired it from his gun while rehearsing a scene. Following the fatal incident, the FBI uncovered an additional five live rounds of ammunition among the movie’s prop weapons.
Although Alec Baldwin has adamantly denied pulling the trigger, this contradicted an FBI analysis of the vintage Colt handgun that fired the fatal shot. “With the hammer at full cock, the revolver could not be made to fire without a pull of the trigger while the working internal components were intact and functional,” according to the report via The Daily Mail.
Meanwhile, the Alec Baldwin movie will continue production in California. Director Joel Souza, who was also injured in the shooting, is expected to return when filming resumes. Speaking about the decision, he said those who spent time with Halyna knew her to be talented, kind, and creative. “I only wish the world had gotten to know her under different circumstances,” he added.
