The attorney representing the family of the deceased cinematographer Halyna Hutchins has slammed embattled Hollywood star Alec Baldwin as “shameful.”
Hutchins was tragically shot dead by Baldwin on the set of his movie “Rust.”
However, Baldwin has refused to accept any responsibility for her death, even blaming Hutchins herself for the shooting.
Hutchins’ lawyer is now calling out Baldwin for his “shameful” attempts at avoiding blame for the tragic shooting.
Earlier this week, Baldwin filed an arbitration demand to be indemnified from all costs and damages associated with the fatal shooting.
Hutchins’ lawyer said: “Alec Baldwin once again is trying to avoid liability and accountability for his reckless actions before and on Oct 21st that resulted in the death of Halyna Hutchins, as demonstrated by today’s arbitration demand for indemnification from the Rust production company.
“Baldwin’s disclosure of personal texts with Matt Hutchins is irrelevant to his demand for arbitration and fails to demonstrate anything other than Hutchins’ dignity in his engagement with Baldwin.
“It is shameful that Baldwin claims Hutchins’ actions in filing a wrongful death lawsuit derailed the completion of Rust.
“The only action that ended the film’s production was Baldwin’s killing of Halyna Hutchins,” the lawyer said.
Baldwin’s arbitration demand says: “At this point, two things are clear: someone is culpable for chambering the live round that led to this horrific tragedy, and it is someone other than Baldwin.
“Baldwin is an actor.
“He didn’t announce that the gun was ‘cold’ when it really contained a live round; he didn’t load the gun; he didn’t check the bullets in the gun; he didn’t purchase the bullets; he didn’t make the bullets and represent that they were dummies; he wasn’t in charge of firearm safety on the set; he didn’t hire the people who supplied the bullets or checked the gun; and he played no role in managing the movie’s props.
“Each of those jobs was performed by someone else.”
Baldwin is trying to claim that the producer agreement requires arbitration of any disputes.
And he says a clause in his contract absolves him of any financial responsibility including legal fees.
“Reed did not instruct Baldwin to check the gun himself,” wrote Baldwin’s attorney Luke Nikas.
“In fact, she told Baldwin that it was her job to check the gun—not his.”
“This is a rare instance when the system broke down, and someone should be held legally culpable for the tragic consequences,” Nikas wrote.
“That person is not Alec Baldwin.”
Baldwin then appears to blame the victim. The filing claims Hutchins is the one who told him how to position the gun:
“She directed Baldwin to hold the gun higher, to a point where it was directed toward her.
“She was looking carefully at the monitor and then at Baldwin, and then back again, as she gave these instructions.”
“In giving and following these instructions, Hutchins and Baldwin shared a core, vital belief: that the gun was ‘cold’ and contained no live rounds.”
The filing continues:
“As he had done throughout his career, Baldwin trusted the other professionals on the set to do their jobs.
“Until October 21, Baldwin had never been involved in a breach of safety on the set of any movie or film, and he has safely handled firearms and other weapons without incident in at least a dozen films and television projects, including: The Hunt For Red October, Miami Blues, The Getaway, The Shadow, Heaven’s Prisoners, The Juror, The Edge, Thick as Thieves, Mission Impossible: Fallout.”
Alec Baldwin blames almost everyone but himself in fatal ‘Rust’ shooting: new docs https://t.co/NXzzU8zA4H pic.twitter.com/9aXfhR4Zcg
— New York Post (@nypost) March 11, 2022
