Movies

Alec Baldwin and other ‘Rust’ producers settle crew members’ lawsuit

BBG News

Alec Baldwin and other producers involved with the “Rust” movie have reached an agreement to resolve a negligence lawsuit filed by three crew members who were present at the 2021 on-set accident that led to the fatal shooting of the film’s cinematographer.

2023 saw Ross Addiego, Doran Curtin, and Reese Price file a lawsuit, claiming emotional distress due to an incident where Alec Baldwin unintentionally fired a gun, striking Halyna Hutchins. This unfortunate event transpired as they were preparing their equipment in a modest church on the film set.

In the court case, the team asserted that the accident was caused by “risky cost reductions” and not adhering to standard safety protocols in the film industry. Interestingly, the lead actor of the movie, Baldwin, was also one of its producers, working on this budget-friendly western production.

The group bringing the lawsuit filed a claim against Alec Baldwin, his El Dorado Pictures company, and Rust Movie Productions LLC, accusing them of negligence and causing emotional distress. In their argument, the production team maintained that Baldwin and other producers disregarded several safety issues such as cutting corners, overlooking repeated, unplanned gunfire incidents, and pushing to complete the film quickly with an understaffed crew.

Baldwin and fellow producers have long denied such allegations.

Last week, the two sides asked a New Mexico civil court judge to dismiss the case.

Both legal teams stated in their joint motion on June 25th that all disputes have been resolved through negotiation and agreement.

From my perspective, the specifics of the agreement haven’t been shared publicly yet. Both parties involved have chosen to keep quiet about their discussions.

Hollywood Inc.

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The day Alec Baldwin shot Halyna Hutchins and Joel Souza

Accounts from various individuals within the “Rust” team provide a detailed, minute-by-minute depiction of a series of questionable choices that culminated in a disorganized production environment where a live bullet ended up in a prop gun.

“Each party has agreed to bear its own costs and fees,” the lawyers wrote.

On the day of filming, the production was delayed due to the camera team staging a walkout. They expressed dissatisfaction about several issues, such as insufficient housing options in the vicinity, hurried working conditions, and breaches of safety regulations, which even included accidental gunfire incidents.

On that fateful day, the tragic incident took the life of Hutchins, aged 42. Regrettably, she passed away, leaving behind her spouse, their child, and her family residing in Ukraine. Earlier, a lawsuit concerning wrongful death was settled by the producers, specifically on behalf of Matthew Hutchins, her husband.

In the incident, the movie’s director, Joel Souza, was wounded by a gunshot. Following this traumatic event, he, Adedge, and several other team members endured a challenging period as they grappled with both the physical and emotional repercussions for months.

Addiego served as the film’s crane operator, managing the equipment that facilitated camera movement. Curtin played a supervisory role as the costume designer, taking care of costumes and props. Price was the non-electrical equipment handler, often referred to as the key grip.

Hollywood Inc.

For fourteen months, Gutierrez was incarcerated after being found guilty in connection with the 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

In this incident, officials in New Mexico launched three legal proceedings, one of which involved Alec Baldwin, who accidentally pointed a gun at Hutchins during a movie scene setup for a close-up of his fake revolver.

In a surprising turn of events, Baldwin’s case for involuntary manslaughter was dismissed by Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer of the New Mexico 1st Judicial District Court last July, as he had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In simpler terms, the judge determined that the special prosecutor and Santa Fe County sheriff’s officers hid crucial evidence from Baldwin’s lawyers. This action, according to the judge, unfairly influenced the case against Baldwin.

Currently, the legal team of the actor-producer was examining if there were any errors in the investigation conducted by both prosecutors and sheriff’s deputies regarding how the bullets ended up on the desert location.

Hollywood Inc.

In the Baldwin involuntary manslaughter case, the judge dropped the criminal charge following the revelation that there was a suspected attempt to hide or conceal possible evidence.

Last year, Hannah Gutierrez, who was responsible for handling weapons, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter during a two-week court case. This Arizona resident spent 14 months in prison before being released last month.

The assistant director, David Halls, was similarly indicted. He admitted to not guilty by means other than contest for the misuse of a lethal weapon and was given a six-month prison term that was postponed.

18 months following the on-set accident involving Hutchins, Baldwin and fellow producers restarted the filming of “Rust” in Montana. This spring saw the movie’s release.

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2025-06-30 23:31

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