Alec Baldwin Settles Lawsuit With Family Of Killed Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins

Topline

Rust Movie Productions and star Alec Baldwin—who fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins with a prop gun on set of the movie Rust last October—reached a settlement with Hutchins’ family in a wrongful death lawsuit, first reported by Deadline on Wednesday.

Actor Alec Baldwin and the ‘Rust’ production company settled a wrongful death case with the family … [+] of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who Baldwin fatally shot on set last year.

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Key Facts

Although the amount of money in the settlement was not immediately disclosed, Hutchins’ widow, Matthew Hutchins, told Forbes the settlement dismisses the case filed in February against Baldwin, the production company, the film’s assistant director Dave Halls and its armorer, in which their “reckless conduct and cost-cutting measures” were blamed for Hutchins’ death.

Matthew Hutchins, who will become the executive producer of the movie when filming resumes in January, said he has “no interest in engaging in recriminations or attributions of blame” to Baldwin or the producers of the movie.

Baldwin’s attorney, Aaron Dyer, did not immediately respond to an inquiry from Forbes, although he previously told Forbes after the case was filed that “any claim that Alec was reckless is entirely false.”

Key Background

Attorney Brian Panish, representing the Hutchins family, had previously argued Baldwin and others on set committed 15 “major breaches” of industry safety protocols, including by not using a replica gun whenever possible, pointing a gun at somebody without consultation from an armorer, and taking prop weapons from anyone other than an armorer, who was not on set during the shooting incident. Rust Movie Productions was fined $136,793 following a report from the New Mexico Environment Department’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau in April, for not following firearm protocols that led to the fatal shooting—Baldwin later posted that the report “exonerates” him. At the time, Dyer said Baldwin believed the bullets were fake rounds.

Crucial Quote

“All of us believe Halyna’s death was a terrible accident,” her widow, Matthew Hutchins, said. “I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna’s final work.”

What We Don’t Know

Whether Baldwin will face criminal charges and what they would be. After an 11-month investigation, authorities in New Mexico, where the movie was shot, said this week they are close to filing charges against Baldwin, who also claimed he was told the gun was “cold” (without live ammunition) when he received it. Although the exact details of how the gun went off have been contested, FBI forensic analysis released last month revealed Baldwin pulled the trigger—which he previously claimed he did not.