Alec Baldwin finally publicly spoke up about the unfortunate ‘Rust’ shooting accident that left beloved cinematographer Halyna Hutchins dead.
Per TMZ, the actor and his family were bombarded by the paparazzi during their low-key stay in Vermont. So in a bid to keep them off his back, Alec, who was joined by his wife Hilaria, decided to answer some questions.
During the conversation with the paps, the “3o Rock” star informed them that he couldn’t comment on the situation of things because the Sheriff’s Department ordered him to stay quiet as investigations are still ongoing. Then mourning the loss of Halyna, Alec said:
She was my friend, she was my friend. The day I arrived in Santa Fe to start shooting, I took her to dinner with Joel [Souza], the director. We were a very, very well-oiled crew shooting a film together, and then this horrible event happened.
Alec also spoke about keeping in contact with the deceased’s husband, Matthew Hutchins, and their 9-year-old son Andros. He revealed that Matthew was “overwhelmed with grief” and described the freak accident as a “one in a trillion episode.”
Alec Baldwin Talks Firearm Reform
While Alec was careful not to go into details about the matter at hand as it’s still an active investigation, he shared his thoughts about the use of firearms on film sets.
Although the 63-year-old said he wasn’t sure if he’d ever work on film sets with firearm props, he revealed that he firmly supports the implementation of better safety measures. In his words:
I do know that an ongoing effort to limit the use of firearms on film sets is something I’m extremely interested in…I’m all in favor of and I will cooperate with that in any way that I can.
As for whether production for “Rust” would ever continue after the tragic incident, Alec affirmatively stated that he doesn’t think so.
Complacency On ‘Rust’ Set
Alec’s public address comes days after the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s department and Santa Fe District Attorney held a press conference to discuss the ongoing investigation.
As we reported, the authorities revealed that there was a suspected live round in the ammunition fired by Alec, which killed Halyna and injured director Joel Souza. In addition, there were a total of three guns on set, two of which were revolvers.
Sheriff Adan Mendoza disclosed in the conference that there was some “complacency” on the set of the movie. As a result, some charges could be filed, but it is not yet sure what the charges would be and who would be charged.
Amid the saga, Alec has reportedly put things on hold to give his all to the investigation and process the devastating loss. As The Blast previously covered, the actor has canceled other film projects that were in the works.
He and his family also moved to Manchester, Vermont, to remove themselves from the public eye. While there, they have been keeping a low profile as the world awaits more updates about the case.
