Alec Baldwin news: Actor in Instagram spat as Rust to resume filming despite charges

Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez Reed and David Halls face charges over the fatal on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins

'There's nothing we can do to bring his mother back': Alec Baldwin on Rust movie shooting

Alec Baldwin has shared his first family photo since it was announced he faces involuntary manslaughter charges.

The actor, who will continue to film Rust despire being charged in the on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, posted the image on Instagram.

It shows his wife Hilaria Baldwin, and their six-year-old son Leo.

Melina Spadone, an attorney for the production of the western, confirmed the news on Friday to CNN, adding that “on-set safety supervisors and union crew members ... will bar any use of working weapons or any ammunition.”

Mr Baldwin is one of three cast and crew members facing charges over the accidental shooting, New Mexico prosecutors announced on Thursday. Armourer Hannah Gutierrez Reed has also been charged with involuntary manslaughter, while first assistant director David Halls has agreed to plead guilty to negligent use of a deadly weapon.

A person with knowledge of the film had previously told The New York Times that Baldwin would still serve as the film’s lead and Joel Souza, who was wounded in the shooting, will return as director.

Thursday’s decision comes more than 15 months after the fatal October 2021 shooting, when a gun held by Baldwin discharged on set. A single bullet fatally struck Hutchins in the chest before striking Souza in the shoulder.

Baldwin has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and maintained that he was told the gun was “cold”.

Key points

• SAG-AFTRA condemns Baldwin’s charges in blistering statement
• Mickey Rourke defends Baldwin over charges
• Alec Baldwin vows to ‘fight’ involuntary manslaughter charges
• Read the DA’s reasons for charging Alec Baldwin in full
• Alec Baldwin tweets about David Crosby’s death hours after being charged in Rust shooting

[21 January 2023 20:38 · Andrea Blanco]

Alec Baldwin will finish filming Rust as lead star despite involuntary manslaughter charges

The embattled western film Rust will continue production with Alec Baldwin as the lead star as he faces involuntary manslaughter charges over the on-set fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

The Independent has the story:

[21 January 2023 21:04 · Andrea Blanco]

Eliza Hutton, fiancé of Brandon Lee who died on ‘The Crow’ set, previously spoke out about gun safety

In the aftermath of the 2021 shooting of Halyna Hutchins, Eliza Hutton – the fiancé of Brandon Lee – called for “alternatives to real guns on sets”.

Lee died in 1993 aged 28. The actor and son of the late action star Bruce Lee had been killed during the filming of The Crow after an actor fired a prop gun he believed to be loaded with blanks.

It was later discovered that a fragment of a dummy shell had been left in the gun’s barrel. Lee died in hospital following hours of surgery.

In October 2021, Hutton said: “I urge those in positions to make change to consider alternatives to real guns on sets.”

[21 January 2023 21:40 · Andrea Blanco]

Halyna Hutchins’s husband previously said he felt ‘anger’ towards Alec Baldwin

In February 2022, Halyna Hutchins’s husband said he felt “angry” seeing the actor speak about his wife’s death “so publicly”.

“I was angry to see him talk about her death so publicly in such a detailed way, and then to not accept responsibility after having just described killing her,” said Matt Hutchins on the Today show last year.

“The idea that the person holding the gun causing it to discharge is not rep is absurd to me.”

[21 January 2023 22:10 · Andrea Blanco]

Alec Baldwin will ‘fight’ manslaughter charges as lawyer blasts ‘miscarriage of justice’

Prosecutors announced Thursday that Alec Baldwin will face two counts of involuntary manslaughter over Halyna Hutchins’s death on the movie set of Rust.

In a statement to The Independent, attorney Luke Nikas said: “This decision distorts Halyna Hutchins’ tragic death and represents 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. He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds. We will fight these charges, and we will win.”

The Independent’s Bevan Hurley has the story:

[21 January 2023 22:40 · Andrea Blanco]

Piers Morgan accuses Alec Baldwin of ‘Hollywood arrogance’

The former Good Morning Britain presenter appeared to welcome the charges brought against Alec Baldwin on Thursday.

“There was no doubt that it was an accident but Halyna Hutchins died, leaving behind a grief-stricken husband and a young child and the person holding the gun that fired a bullet and killed her was Alec Baldwin,” Piers Morgan said.

“It was him who did that, who fired a bullet into his co-worker’s body and snuffed out her life. Nobody else’s hands were anywhere near the gun.”

“Since that tragic day, Baldwin has been the epitome of Hollywood arrogance.”

Read the full story.

[21 January 2023 23:10 · Andrea Blanco]

Alec Baldwin tweets about David Crosby’s death hours after being charged in Rust shooting

Alec Baldwin used his first public comment after being charged in the death of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins to share the news of musician David Crosby’s death.

The actor was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter over the fatal shooting on Thursday (19 January) by New Mexico district attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies. The 64-year-old is one of three cast and crew members facing charges over the accidental October 2021 shooting.

Thursday also marked the death of 81-year-old folk-rock legend Crosby following “a long illness”, his widow said.

Hours after his charges were announced, Baldwin tweeted about Crosby’s death rather than his own situation.

The actor first shared a link to a news article about Crosby’s death, followed by a link to an interview he did with Crosby in 2018 for his podcast, Here’s The Thing with Alec Baldwin.

The podcast series, in which Baldwin interviews public figures, began in 2011 and is ongoing. The most recent episode was published on 12 December, featuring an interview with US political staffer Huma Abedin.

(Twitter)

[21 January 2023 23:40 · Andrea Blanco]

As Alec Baldwin faces involuntary manslaughter charges, gun safety on sets ‘gets louder’

Film production and firearms experts say movie sets probably changed permanently when cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed on the remote New Mexico set of the Western “Rust” 14 months ago.

The incident led to the announcement from prosecutors Thursday that Alec Baldwin and the film’s weapons supervisor will be charged with involuntary manslaughter later this month.

“The gun safety experience on set has become more vocal, it’s a lot louder,” Joey Dillon, an armourer who has overseen the use of firearms on television shows including “Westworld” and movies including “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” told The Associated Press. “I make it a lot louder myself.”

Mr Baldwin was pointing the gun with a live round inside that killed Hutchins as they set up a shot for an upcoming scene.

[22 January 2023 00:40 · Andrea Blanco]

Alec Baldwin to face involuntary manslaughter charge over Halyna Hutchins death

Alec Baldwin will be prosecuted over the 2021 Rust movie shooting which resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Both Baldwin and the film’s armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will be charged with involuntary manslaughter over the death of Ms Hutchins on the film’s Santa Fe set.

In a statement, District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said: “After a thorough review of the evidence and the laws of the state of New Mexico, I have determined that there is sufficient evidence to file criminal charges against Alec Baldwin and other members of the Rust film crew.

“On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice.”

It comes less than three months after the District Attorney’s office received the final report from the police into the incident which led to the death of Ms Hutchins after a prop gun held by Baldwin was discharged.

[22 January 2023 01:40 · Andrea Blanco]

Halyna Hutchins’ final words after being shot on Alec Baldwin’s Rust set

Witnesses have revealed Halyna Hutchins’s last words in the moments after she was shot by Alec Baldwin on the set of his movie Rust.

Ms Hutchins, director of photography for the Western film, died on 21 October 2021 after Mr Baldwin discharged a firearm while practising a gun-drawing technique on the set in New Mexico.

Seconds after she was struck, Ms Hutchins cried out to a boom operator: “That was no good. That was no good at all,” according to a Los Angeles Times report based on interviews with 14 crew members.

The Independent’s Megan Sheets has the story:

[22 January 2023 02:40 · Andrea Blanco]

Halyna Hutchins’ life and career

As the news breaks that Alec Baldwin has been charged with involuntary manslaughter over the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins, family and friends of the late cinematographer will be remembering her life and career.

Baldwin was starring in a western film called Rust in Santa Fe, New Mexico, when a prop firearm he was holding discharged, killing Halyna Hutchins, the director of photography, and injuring the director Joul Souza, police said. Hutchins was 42 years old.

The Independent’s Ellie Muir explains the late cinematographer’s projects: