Alec Baldwin reaches settlement with Halyna Hutchins' family over 'Rust' shooting
Senior national correspondent William La Jeunesse and attorney Brian Claypool examine the latest developments in the investigation into the 'Rust' filming shooting on 'The Story with Martha MacCallum.'
Alec Baldwin, "Rust" producers and the family of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins have reached a settlement.
Hutchins died when a gun Baldwin was holding fired while practicing a shot for the film "Rust" on the New Mexico movie set Oct. 21, 2021. The group had been rehearsing in a small church on the set.
"We have reached a settlement, subject to court approval, for our wrongful death case against the producers of ‘Rust,’ including Alec Baldwin and Rust Movie Productions, LLC. As part of that settlement, our case will be dismissed," Matthew Hutchins said in a statement to Fox News Digital through his attorney Brian Panish of Panish | Shea | Boyle | Ravipudi LLP.
"The filming of ‘Rust,’ which I will now executive produce, will resume with all the original principal players on board in January 2023. I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin). All of us believe Halyna’s death was a terrible accident. I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna’s final work."
Matthew Hutchins, husband of Halyna Hutchins, runs errands in Los Angeles. Matthew announced a settlement had been reached between "Rust" producers, Alec Baldwin and the family on Tuesday. (SplashNews.com)
Alec Baldwin is spotted looking downcast while stepping out to lunch in New York City. The sighting comes days after the Santa Fe County District Attorney's Office said that up to four people, including Baldwin, could be charged in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. (TheImageDirect.com)
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Additionally, Baldwin released a statement regarding the resolution of the lawsuit on social media.
"We are pleased to announce today the settlement of the civil case filed on behalf of the family of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins," Baldwin captioned a screenshot of an article. "Throughout this difficult process, everyone has maintained the specific desire to do what is best for Halyna’s son. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the resolution of this tragic and painful situation."
The wrongful death lawsuit, previously obtained by Fox News Digital, was filed by the estate of Hutchins on February 15.
The lawsuit named Baldwin and others who "are responsible for the safety on the set" and called out "reckless behavior and cost-cutting" that led to the death of Hutchins, according to Hutchins' lawyer.
Armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, assistant director David Halls, production companies and producers were also named in the lawsuit.
Halyna Hutchins is survived by her husband Matthew and their son. (Hutchins' lawyer Brian Panish)
Matthew's attorneys interviewed witnesses before filing and created a video compiling evidence for the wrongful death lawsuit. In the video shared at a press conference, Matthew's lawyers reiterated claims from crew members that the "Rust" set was unsafe. The lawsuit claimed Baldwin and the "Rust" crew and cast committed "major breaches" of safety on the set.
The family sued for punitive damages, funeral and burial expenses among other things originally to be determined at trial.
"Halyna Hutchins deserved to live, and the Defendants had the power to prevent her death if they had only held sacrosanct their duty to protect the safety of every individual on a set where firearms were present instead of cutting corners on safety procedures where human lives were at stake, rushing to stay on schedule and ignoring numerous complaints of safety violations," the lawsuit read.
"This lawsuit seeks justice for the losses of her survivors and to hold responsible those who caused her tragic death."
Despite settling the civil lawsuit, Baldwin and others involved in production could still face charges for the death of Hutchins.
The Oct. 21, 2021 on set shooting is still being investigated by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Department. The department has been waiting for Baldwin's phone records before concluding their investigative report and sending it to the district attorney.
Alec Baldwin could face criminal charges in the death of Halyna Hutchins. (Fox News Digital)
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Meanwhile, New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies specifically named Baldwin in her request for emergency funding to prosecute the case. The DA further claimed she anticipates prosecuting up to four people who were on the set at Bonanza Creek Ranch.
"The ‘Rust’ prosecution could be potentially be prosecutions from one (1) to four (4) defendants," Carmack-Altwies wrote in paperwork filed for an emergency grant. "One of the possible defendants is well-known movie actor Alec Baldwin."
However, Baldwin's lawyer emphasized that the Santa Fe County Sheriff's report had not even been received by the district attorney yet, and encouraged media to give the DA's office "space to review" the forthcoming report "without unfounded speculation and innuendo."
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Alec Baldwin makes a gun with his fingers while speaking with investigators following the Oct. 21, 2021 "Rust" movie shooting. (Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office)
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