Alec Baldwin ‘Rust’ Shooting Update: ‘I Never Pulled The Trigger’

Actor Alec Baldwin is finally breaking his silence about the tragic shooting on the set of the Western film "Rust" that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director JoelSouza in New Mexico last October.

On Thursday, December 2, 2021, ABC news is going to be airing an exclusive interview with news anchor George Stephanopoulos.

In a new trailer teasing the interview, Stephanopoulos asks Baldwin some hard questions about what really happened that day.

At the beginning of the clip, Baldwin is seemingly in tears as he talks about the death of Hutchins, who seemed to be loved by everyone on set.

“She was someone who was loved by everyone who worked with [her], and liked by everyone who worked with [her], and admired,” Baldwin said. “I mean, even now… I find it hard to believe that [it happened]. It just doesn’t seem real to me.”

One of the highlights of the interview comes when Stephanopoulos asks Baldwin about the scene in question. Stephanopoulos states, “It wasn’t in the script for the trigger to be pulled.”

“Well, the trigger wasn’t pulled,” Baldwin responds. “I didn’t pull the trigger.”

Stephanopoulos repeats, “So you never pulled the trigger?”

“No, no, no, no,” Baldwin says. “I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them, never.”

Stephanopoulos also asks, “How did a real bullet get on that set?”

“I have no idea,” Baldwin replies. “Someone put a live bullet in a gun. A bullet that wasn’t even supposed to be on the property.”

Many fans took to social media to express doubt in what Baldwin was saying.

“It was a Single Action Revolver you must pull back on the Hammer to engage the Action and the Trigger to fire the Weapon,” one user wrote. “If you don't pull back on the Hammer you can squeeze the trigger all day long and the Weapon will not fire.”

“Did you ask Alec Baldwin about the two LIVE ROUNDS (not blanks) that were fired accidentally five days before the incident???” another asked. “Why did he and others not check if they knew that???”

Another user only added more questions: “Who fatally injured Halyna? If AB didn’t shoot Halyna and Joel, who did? He can’t possibly be ignorant enough to claim the weapon ‘just went off’? I sincerely hope he isn’t adding insult to injury in claiming the weapon killed Halyna? It sure sounds that way as he’s passing the blame again. AB is asking HOW live ammunition was on set? He’s one of the producers, shouldn’t he be answering that question? I feel so incredibly sorry for Halyna’s son, husband, and all her loved ones.”

“No one should feel sorry for Alec even though it was an accident,” another added. “The only ones who really are suffering are the victim and her immediate family.”

“This interview is clearly inappropriate,” another wrote. “Has the police investigation even finished? It looks like a self-serving interview to me. If I was his lawyer I would not have advised him to agree to it. It could make matters ten times worse for him. Condolences to the deceased’s family. Such a wonderful person gone too soon.”

The full interview will be available Thursday, December 2, 2021, at 8 PM EST on ABC. The interview will also be available for streaming on Hulu later that night.