Alec Baldwin sued by Halyna Hutchins' family over fatal 'Rust' movie shooting
- Alec Baldwin is facing a lawsuit filed by the parents and sister of Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer who was killed in the "Rust" set movie shooting.
- Last year, Hutchins' husband settled a separate lawsuit regarding the shooting.
- Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter in January.
Alec Baldwin is being sued by family members of Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer who was killed on the set of the movie "Rust."
The lawsuit against Baldwin and others involved in the "Rust" production was filed on behalf of Hutchins' sister and family in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Thursday. The complaints include negligence, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and loss of consortium.
The family's attorney, Gloria Allred, said that Baldwin has not reached out to Hutchins' mother, father, and sister since she was killed. "We haven't heard from Alec Baldwin, the man with the gun," Allred said at a Thursday press conference.
The family currently lives in Ukraine and did not attend the in-person press conference because, according to Allred's co-counsel John Carpenter, they "are fighting the fight" on the front lines of the war.
Despite being filed in California, the civil suit is operating under New Mexico law since that is where the incident took place. In California, no one other than a spouse can file a loss of consortium claim, but that restriction does not apply in New Mexico. The family's attorneys said they filed in California because that is where the "Rust" production company is based.
Allred is also representing Mamie Mitchell, a script supervisor on the film who is also suing Baldwin for injuries related to the shooting.
"It may be that at some point we will want to consolidate this case with our case of Mamie Mitchell," said Allred.
The family's lawsuit comes weeks after Baldwin was officially charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter by a New Mexico District Attorney's office. The Santa Fe prosecutors allege that Baldwin had been "distracted" during essential firearm training sessions. He held the gun that fired the fatal bullet at Hutchins.
The prosecutors filed similar against Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film's armorer, alleging that she knew that Baldwin needed more training and also was responsible for checking the gun's safety before use.
Baldwin's attorneys have said he would fight the charges. A lawyer for Baldwin declined to provide immediate comment on the new lawsuit. Baldwin, an actor known for his roles in "The Departed" and "The Hunt for Red October," is also a producer of "Rust."
The civil suit has a different purpose than the ongoing criminal investigation, though the two cases may have some overlapping witnesses, according to the attorneys. It is seeking "an acknowledgement of what was taken" for the family to "help in the healing process," said Carpenter. It also requires a lower burden of proof than the criminal case, noted Allred.
Last February, Hutchins' widower, Matthew Hutchins, sued Baldwin for wrongful death, months after Hutchins was killed in October 2021.
That lawsuit, which accused Baldwin and others of reckless conduct that led to the tragedy, was settled in October last year. The settlement ended with the widower becoming a producer for "Rust," which had aimed to resume filming in January. Allred declined to comment on whether the family supports the continued filming of "Rust."
Matthew Hutchins is not involved in this second civil case, though, according to Allred, he and the family are "in communication. Let's put it that way."