Embattled Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin has made a desperate move as he faces possible criminal charges for the fatal shooting on the set of his movie “Rust.”
As he awaits word from prosecutors on whether he will face criminal charges, Baldwin has filed a lawsuit against several of the movie’s crew members.
Baldwin is suing the crew for handing him the loaded gun he fired on set, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Baldwin sued armorer Hannah Guttierez-Reed, prop master Sarah Zachry, first assistant director and safety coordinator David Halls, and ammunition supplier Seth Kenney and his company PDQ Arm & Prop.
“There can be no doubt that others have suffered from Cross-Defendants’ negligence far more than Baldwin has,” Baldwin’s attorney, Luke Nikas of Quinn Emanuel, wrote in the suit.
“Though by no means comparable, Baldwin must live with the immense grief, and the resulting emotional, physical, and financial toll, caused by the fact that Cross-Defendants’ negligent conduct, assurances, and supervision put a loaded weapon in his hand and led him, Hutchins, and everyone else on set to believe that his directed use of the weapon was safe,” the suit said.
The suit continues: “More than anyone else on that set, Baldwin has been wrongfully viewed as the perpetrator of this tragedy.
“By these Cross-Claims, Baldwin seeks to clear his name and hold Cross-Defendants accountable for their misconduct.
“This tragedy happened because live bullets were delivered to the set and loaded into the gun.”
“Baldwin is the one responsible for this tragedy,” Guttierez-Reed’s lawyer said.
“He pointed the weapon and pulled the trigger.”
According to legal scholar Jonathan Turley:
As a producer, it is likely that Baldwin was negligent to some degree in the shoddy precautions and safety conditions on the set.
In a contributory or modified comparative negligence jurisdiction, he could be barred.
However, even if he were found more at fault than the defendants, Baldwin could still recover damages under California’s pure comparative negligence rule.
The discovery in the case could be interesting given Baldwin’s public statements (while insisting that he could not speak publicly on advice from counsel).
This includes denials of ever pointing a gun at another actor, which could lead to challenges based on various movie scenes.
