In the unraveling case of Alec Baldwin's tragic shooting of Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust, three of the crew members who were present during the mishappening have spoken up. Dolly operator Ross Addiego, set costumer Doran Curtin and key grip Reese Price have collectively opened a lawsuit against both Baldwin and the Rust production. Their basis for suing is negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Together, Addiego, Curtin, and Price were three out of the seven members on set during the disaster, and all three relive harrowing accounts of the aftermath.
The plaintiffs express how the simultaneous decision to use active firearms on set and not maintain adequate safety protocols allegedly caused the death of Hutchins. They note how safer options, such as props and special effects, could have been used in place of a real gun. Additionally, the by-product of the incident resulted in emotional distress for the three crew members. Addiego, Curtin, and Price recall how they all had to jump in to help both Hutchins and director Joel Souza after the firearm struck.
Alec Baldwin Pleads Not Guilty
TMZ reports that the plaintiff's documents also described that armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed "lacked essential experience." It notes how Gutierrez-Reed handed the gun to Halls without having checked it, who then passed it along saying it was "cold." Despite the negligence in handling the weapon, Baldwin still went on with using it. The plaintiff claims that the result of these circumstances was Hutchin's death and the resulting anguish.
While Baldwin still awaits his preliminary hearing for Hutchin's death, he has pleaded not guilty and waived his Friday (February 24) court appearance. The allegations of Santa Fe's D.A. department claim that he has acted with "criminal negligence." However, Baldwin remains his stance that other members of the production team were responsible for ensuring the safe usage of the firearm. Today, he remains free from jail. Within 60 days of pleading not guilty, both he and Gutierrez-Reed will face their respective hearings. Rust, on the other hand, is planning on reshooting in the upcoming months. For more news on pop culture and hip-hop, be sure to check out HNHH.