Alec Baldwin sued by family of late ‘Rust’ cinematographer Halyna Hutchins

The family of Halyna Hutchins have filed a lawsuit against Alec Baldwin, while releasing a chilling video re-enacting the shooting that killed the cinematographer on the Rust set.

The family of a cinematographer killed during the filming of “Rust” have filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against actor Alec Baldwin, while releasing a chilling video re-enacting the shooting.

Lawyers filed the suit in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, on behalf of Matthew Hutchins, the husband of Halyna Hutchins, and the couple’s nine-year-old son.

They claim that several industry-wide practices that meant to keep movie sets safe were disregarded.

“The lawsuit names Alec Baldwin and others who are responsible for the safety on the set and whose reckless behaviour and cost-cutting led to the senseless and tragic death of Halyna Hutchins,” attorney Brian Panish told a news conference in Los Angeles.

Hutchins was killed and director Joel Souza was wounded when a gun Baldwin was using during a rehearsal fired off a live bullet. The movie was being filmed at Bonanza Creek Ranch in New Mexico.

Halyna Hutchins who was shot on set of Rust being filmed in New Mexico

During the press conference, lawyers for the family played a nearly 10-minute animation which shows Baldwin sitting on a pew when he fires the gun, which then hits Hutchins, who is only 4 feet away.

The eerie footage — an animated version titled “Killing of Halyna Hutchins on the set of ‘Rust’ ” — uses computer-generated figures of Baldwin and others on the fated film shoot that day and includes the moment the star allegedly pulled the trigger of what was supposed to have been a prop gun with blank bullets.

The lawyers claimed Baldwin refused weapons training on how to perform the cross-draw, which was the type of action he was supposed to do in the church scene.

They said the industry standard requires the crew to be behind a protective glass and have other safety equipment during such a dangerous scene.

Alec Baldwin is being sued by the family of Halyna Hutchins. Picture: AFP

“There are many people culpable, but Mr. Baldwin was the person holding the weapon … that but for him shooting, she would not have died,” Hutchins family lawyer Brian Panish said.

“[Baldwin] has significant portion liability, but there are others, and that’s what this case is going to be about — assessing fair apportionment to whoever’s responsible for the senseless tragedy,” the lawyer said of the suit, which was filed in New Mexico.”

The Hutchins family’s suit is one of four legal claims filed against Baldwin and “Rust” producers.

Lighting technician Serge Svetnoy, the film’s script supervisor Mamie Mitchell and on-set armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed previously filed their own lawsuits.

Gutierrez-Reed, who was in charge of checking all firearms on the set, claimed in her suit that ammunition supplier Seth Kenney mixed live rounds in boxes she thought contained only blanks.

Halyna Hutchins.

Baldwin was told that the gun was “cold,” indicating the weapon contained only dummy bullets, but a live bullet inside the weapon struck and killed Hutchins as she was setting up a close-up shot of the actor, Gutierrez-Reed said.

The lawsuit comes as Baldwin made his return to work last week, four months after the fatal shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust.

The actor revealed he is working on an undisclosed project filming overseas. Sky News reports the production is Timo Vuorensola-directed thriller 97 Minutes, filming in England.

Baldwin made the announcement via an emotional social media post at an airport – which he described as his “least favourite place”, revealing that it would be a “brief trip” to “do a little work”.

“It’s strange to go back to work,” Baldwin said, according to Sky.

“I haven’t worked since October 21 of last year when this horrible thing happened on the set of this film.

“We had the accident and the death of our cinematographer Halyna Hutchins – I even still find that hard to say.

“But I went back to work today for the first time in three and a half months … it was interesting … I miss my kids.”

In a separate Instagram video, a teary Baldwin said: “I’m very sad whenever I leave my family.

“My eyes are still puffy, I’m not sleeping.”

Baldwin opened up about being a devoted dad to his seven children – including six with his second wife, Hilaria.

“I don’t have anything else in my life … that matters to me on that scale, and I really mean that,” he said.

“Make every day count.”

In the caption to his video, Baldwin said: “I have only one purpose in this life. And I count the minutes until I get back to it.”

Baldwin was later spotted in London at Heathrow Airport, Entertainment Weekly reported.

The movie project marks Baldwin’s first return to the screen since Rust stopped production indefinitely over Hutchins’ shock death in October on set at Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe.

Alec Baldwin posted an emotional video on Instagram, talking about his family and returning to work. Picture: ABC News

The entrance to Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where Halyna Hutchins was shot dead. Picture: AFP

She died after Baldwin allegedly discharged a prop gun after being told it was “cold”, killing Hutchins and injuring Rust director Joel Souza.

In a tell-all after the tragedy, Baldwin told ABC News that he “didn’t pull the trigger”.

“No, no. I might have killed myself if I thought I was responsible, and I don’t say that lightly,” Baldwin said.

He opened up about the mental toll the incident had taken on him.

“I go through my day, and I make it through the day,” Baldwin said.

“Then I collapse at the end of the day. Emotionally, I collapse.”

The investigation into the Rust shooting tragedy is continuing.

Originally published as Alec Baldwin sued by family of late ‘Rust’ cinematographer Halyna Hutchins