Alec Baldwin & Other Rust Workers Hit With New Lawsuit From Halyna Hutchins' Family After Shooting
Alec Baldwin is one of many facing a new lawsuit in connection to the 2021 fatal shooting of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
The 30 Rock alum, armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and more involved in the production of the Western film have been accused of negligence in a civil suit filed by Hutchins' family in New Mexico June 5.
In court documents obtained by E! News, Hutchins' mom Olga Solovey, father Anatolii Androsovych, sister Svetlana Zemko and Rust script supervisor Mamie Mitchell alleged the unsafe conditions on set and a failure to follow protocol led to a prop gun discharging from Baldwin's hand, resulting in Hutchins' death.
"Defendant Baldwin chose to play Russian Roulette with a loaded gun without checking it and without having the armorer do so," the lawsuit read. "His behavior and that of the producers of Rust were intentional and/or negligent acts and/or omissions, without any just or excuse and with utter disregard of consequences of said acts and/or omissions."
The family is seeking damages for emotional distress over Hutchins' death, while Mitchel is seeking damages related to the "severe emotional and physical injuries she has suffered" due to witnessing the incident.
The New Mexico filing "coincides with the dismissal" of a lawsuit the family had submitted with Los Angeles County court in 2023, according to their attorney Gloria Allred.
"While we had successfully litigated this case in California against many of the same Defendants being named in our New Mexico lawsuit, there were key defendants over whom the court ruled there was no personal jurisdiction in California," she told The Wrap in a statement. "The fact that the court could not exercise jurisdiction over key defendants because they did not have ‘minimum contacts' with California, as the forum state, further evidences Rust producers' decision to make this film pursuant to cost-cutting measures that placed the lives of Halyna, Mamie and other crew members at risk."
Baldwin previously faced a wrongful death lawsuit from Hutchins' husband Matthew Hutchins, which was settled in 2022 and, as part of the agreement, Matthew was named an executive producer on Rust.
"I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin)," he said in a statement at the time. "All of us believe Halyna's death was a terrible accident."
Meanwhile, Baldwin's attorneys said in a statement of their own that "everyone has maintained the specific desire to do what is best for Halyna's son" Andros, who she shared with Matthew. They added, "We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the resolution of this tragic and painful situation."
Baldwin has also denied any wrongdoing in connection to Hutchins' death, telling ABC News in 2021, "I didn't pull the trigger." He is currently awaiting trial on one count of involuntary manslaughter, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
His attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro told E! in January, "We look forward to our day in court."
In March, Rust armorer Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty on an involuntary manslaughter charge in relation to Hutchins' shooting. She was sentenced to 18 months in prison in April, and a notice of appeal was filed on her behalf in the following month.
E! News has reached out to attorneys for Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed for comment on the New Mexico lawsuit but hasn't heard back.
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