A settlement was reached in the lawsuit against Alec Baldwin for the wrongful death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, and the filming for Rust will resume with Hutchins' husband as a producer.
Hutchins was killed on the set of the film on October 21, 2021, after Baldwin handled a prop gun that was believed to be unloaded. The gun discharged and fatally shot Hutchins and injured writer-director Joel Souza. Hutchins' family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in February, and on Wednesday, it was announced that the settlement was reached.
"We have reached a settlement, subject to court approval, for our wrongful death case against the producers of Rust, including Alec Baldwin and Rust Movie Productions, LLC. As part of that settlement, our case will be dismissed," said Matthew Hutchins, husband of the late Halyna Hutchins, in a statement sent to Newsweek.
"The filming of Rust, which I will now executive produce, will resume with all the original principal players on board in January 2023. I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin). All of us believe Halyna's death was a terrible accident. I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna's final work," he said.
Rust Movie Productions, LLC, through its attorney, Melina Spadone of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, said on Wednesday, "We are pleased the parties came together to resolve this matter, which, subject to court approval, marks an important step forward in celebrating Halyna's life and honoring her work."
Baldwin has denied pulling the trigger on the prop gun since last October, but an FBI investigation concluded in August of this year that he must have pulled the trigger. Baldwin's attorney, Luke Nikas of Quinn Emanuel, has consistently defended that Baldwin was unaware of the unsafe conditions on set, and was told by the person in charge of the gun that it was "cold." The Santa Fe Sheriff's Office has yet to charge anyone in the incident.
On Wednesday, Nikas said in a statement to Newsweek: "Throughout this difficult process, everyone has maintained the specific desire to do what is best for Halyna's son. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the resolution of this tragic and painful situation."
In the same statement, Joel Souza, the director of Rust who was shot and injured in the incident as well, said, "Those of us who were lucky enough to have spent time with Halyna knew her to be exceedingly talented, kind, creative, and a source of incredible positive energy. I only wish the world had gotten to know her under different circumstances, as it surely would have through her amazing work.
"In my own attempts to heal, any decision to return to finish directing the film could only make sense for me if it was done with the involvement of Matt and the Hutchins family. Though certainly bittersweet, I am pleased that together, we will now complete what Halyna and I started. My every effort on this film will be devoted to honoring Halyna's legacy and making her proud. It is a privilege to see this through on her behalf."
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About the writer
Emma Mayer is a Newsweek Culture Writer based in Wyoming. Her focus is reporting on celebrities, books, movies, and music. ... Read more
