New court filings, on Friday, revealed that Alec Baldwin tried to work out a deal with the husband of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who died on the sets of the film Rust in October 2021, in order to complete the film’s production.
The revelation comes through an arbitration filed by Baldwin, who is producing as well as starring in the upcoming film, against Rust’s main producer, Ryan Smith, and Rust Move Productions LLC, invoking the indemnification clause of his producer contract. The clause would force Smith and the production company to assume liability for all legal claims and pay Baldwin’s defence costs.
Hutchins died on October 21, 2021, after a prop gun misfired when Baldwin was rehearsing with the firearm on the film’s set in Bonanza Creek, New Mexico. The incident also left director Joel Souza injured.
Since then, Baldwin, assistant director Dave Halls and armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed have been under investigation. Multiple lawsuits have also been filed against Baldwin and the other producers for negligence and unlawful conduct.
The arbitration filing states that Baldwin took the lead in persuading director Joel Souza and the primary cast to complete the film, as part of a proposed settlement that would compensate Matthew Hutchins and his son.
It adds that the actor-producer convinced the primary cast that “finishing Rust was an important step in honouring Halyna Hutchins’s memory, defining her legacy, and, in turn, providing financial support to her family.”
Baldwin’s filing says he began discussions in November for a possible settlement, but that the other producers, particularly Smith, did not play an active role in these talks.
The filing also mentions two phone conversations Baldwin reportedly had with Matthew Hutchins in January this year to discuss a settlement. The actor-producer proposed to compensate Hutchins’ husband using a combination of insurance proceeds and a portion of the film’s profits.
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The arbitration filing further revealed that the settlement discussions ended when Matthew Hutchins filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Baldwin and others last month. The suit filed on behalf of the cinematographer’s family names Baldwin, Halls, and Gutierrez-Reed as well as crew members such as Sarah Zachry, Gabrielle Pickle, Seth Kenney, and the film’s other producers as defendants. Matthew Hutchins alleged that their cost-cutting measures and disregard of safety protocols led to his wife’s wrongful death.
In a statement on Friday, Matthew Hutchins’ lawyer said that it was “shameful” of Baldwin to blame his client for the failure to complete the film. He further accused Baldwin of once again “trying to avoid liability and accountability for his reckless actions” before and on the day of Hutchins’ death.