The '30 Rock' alum is slammed by the Hutchins' lawyer for trying to 'avoid liability and accountability for his reckless actions' that resulted in the death the cinematographer on the 'Rust' set.
- Mar 12, 2022
AceShowbiz - Alec Baldwin apparently sees no reason to scrap "Rust" altogether in the wake of Halyna Hutchins' passing. According to an arbitration demand that his lawyers filed on Friday, March 11 against his fellow producers, it's revealed that he tried to convince the cast and crew to finish the film in honor of the late cinematographer.
His lawyer Luke Nikas said in the weeks after the fatal shooting, Alec had sought to persuade the cast and crew of "Rust" to move forward with the film. He planned to have the proceeds from the movie go toward a settlement with the woman's husband Matthew Hutchins and nine-year-old son.
The new filing also claimed that his contract protected him from financial responsibility in Halyna's death and seeking coverage of his legal fees. "This is a rare instance when the system broke down, and someone should be held legally culpable for the tragic consequences," the lawyer said in the filing against lead producer Ryan Smith and Rust Move Productions LLC. "That person is not Alec Baldwin."
In the filing, Alec further detailed how he held the gun under Halyna's instructions. Alec allegedly asked Halyna if she wanted him to pull back the hammer, as the script instructed, and she said yes. "Baldwin then pulled back the hammer, but not far enough to actually cock the gun," it said. "When Baldwin let go of the hammer, the gun went off."
The filing included text exchanges between Alec and Halyna's husband Matthew Hutchins, showing that their relationship had deteriorated over time, following Alec's television interview and Matthew's appearance on NBC's "Today" show. The Hutchins family has since filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Alec and other crew members of the movie.
In response to the arbitration demand, the Hutchins' lawyer slammed Alec for "trying to avoid liability and accountability for his reckless actions before and on Oct 21st that resulted in the death of Halyna Hutchins, as demonstrated by today's arbitration demand for indemnification from the Rust production company."
"Baldwin's disclosure of personal texts with Matt Hutchins is irrelevant to his demand for arbitration and fails to demonstrate anything other than Hutchins' dignity in his engagement with Baldwin," the lawyer went on to state. "It is shameful that Baldwin claims Hutchins' actions in filing a wrongful death lawsuit derailed the completion of 'Rust'. The only action that ended the film's production was Baldwin's killing of Halyna Hutchins."
