A source familiar with Alec Baldwin’s handling of the criminal allegations against him has spoken up. Alec and Hilaria were apparently “prepared for all scenarios, but nothing can completely prepare you for this,” according to People. “They’re depending on one other and trying to stay focused on the kids.”
“Hilaria has been Alec’s rock throughout this, and seeing him so distraught is devastating for her,” the insider said, adding that Hilaria “is doing whatever she can to support him, and they’re doing their best to be strong for the kids.”
Alec Baldwin and the weapons handler on the set of their unfinished film Rust have been charged with murder in the shooting death of Halyna Hutchins, 42. Baldwin and the handler, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, are anticipated to face involuntary manslaughter charges.
“This judgment distorts Halyna Hutchins’ tragic death and is a horrific miscarriage of justice,” said Alec’s lawyer, Luke Nikas, responding to the decision to press criminal charges against Baldwin. Mr. Baldwin had no reason to suspect a live bullet was in the rifle or anywhere else on the set. He trusted the professionals with whom he worked, who informed him that the rifle contained no live ammunition.”
“We will fight these charges and win,” the lawyer continued.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the film’s assistant director, David Halls, has previously pled guilty to charges of the irresponsible use of a deadly weapon. On the set, Halls was the one who handed Baldwin the rifle and declared it “cold.”
According to The Wall Street Journal, involuntary manslaughter carries a maximum term of 18 months in jail in New Mexico, where the shooting occurred.
When the revolver accidentally discharged, Hutchins, the director, Joel Souza, and Baldwin were charting a scene and going through how Alec would retrieve the gun from his holster. Hutchins was killed, and Souza was injured when the bullet impacted her in the chest.
Baldwin has previously stated that he never pressed the trigger when taking the handgun from his holster but that he did pull back the hammer and release it. “I would never aim a pistol at someone and pull the trigger,” Baldwin told ABC News in December 2021. “Someone loaded a live round into a gun that wasn’t even supposed to be on the premises.”
However, according to the FBI’s findings, the gun was “intact and operable” and “could not be made to discharge without a pull of the trigger” until the revolver’s hammer was “decocked on a loaded chamber.”
It was initially assumed that the gun was “cold,” an industry term indicating that it did not contain any live ammunition.
The revelation that Baldwin will face involuntary manslaughter charges comes just months after it was revealed that the film would continue production.
According to CNN, Huchins’ husband, Matthew Hutchins, will become an executive producer of the film and will receive a part of the income that the film may generate.
“We have negotiated a settlement, subject to court approval, for our wrongful death complaint against the creators of Rust, including Alec Baldwin and Rust Movie Productions, LLC. “Our complaint will be dismissed as part of that settlement,” Matthew Hutchins stated in a statement obtained by CNN.
“The filming of Rust, which I will now executive produce, will resume with all the original major characters on board in January 2023. I have no desire to engage in recriminations or assign blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin). We all believe Halyna’s death was a tragic accident. I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment industry have banded together to honor Halyna’s final work.”
Baldwin has yet to respond to the criminal charges leveled against him.
