The “Rust” legal issue is taking a new turn, and the crew seems to be turning on each other. In a new update about the tragic shooting that went down on the movie set, the head armorer blames the ammunition company and, of course, Alec Baldwin for the heartbreaking death of Halyna Hutchins.
‘Rust’ Head Armorer Files Lawsuit
According to TMZ, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the head armorer of “Rust” recently filed a lawsuit against a man named Seth Kenney, the owner of the company that supplied the ammunition used on the set of the movie.
Gutierrez Reed blames Kenney for supplying the movie set with live rounds, claiming that before the devastating church scene, she loaded the gun personally with what she believed were dummy rounds.
She alleges that Kenney and his company, PDQ Arm & Prop, had access to the set and knew the passcode to the prop safe where guns are usually kept. Gutierrez Reed noted that Kenney’s company was the production’s only supplier, so they only could have had an idea of how live ammunition made its way to the set.
She wants Kenney to be held liable for the tragic incident.
Alec Baldwin And The Assistant Director Were Blamed
Although Gutierrez Reed named Kenney and his company the only defendants in the lawsuit, she didn’t fail to blame other crew members she believed influenced the tragic shooting incident.
The names that came up in the lawsuit were assistant director Dave Halls and, of course, Baldwin, who allegedly pulled the trigger. The head armorer claimed that Baldwin refused to respond to her request to undergo a cross-draw training session ahead of shooting the scene.
The aggrieved crew member mentioned that after loading the gun with the supposed dummy rounds, she handed it over to Halls, who told her he would sit with the gun during rehearsals and then left the church.
However, within 15 minutes of her absence, Halls handed the loaded gun to Baldwin, who hadn’t undergone cross-draw training. Unfortunately, the “30 Rock” star was performing a cross-draw at the moment ― a scene where he draws the gun across his body ― and that was when Hutchins was struck.
Gutierrez Reed claimed Halls broke protocol when he didn’t inform her that Baldwin was practicing or filming the gun move as it wasn’t a scheduled rehearsal. Also, she claimed that Baldwin practiced the cross draw from his shoulder holster to achieve proper camera angles, resulting in Hutchins’ death.
Gutierrez Reed ascertained that if she were on set when the scene went down, she wouldn’t have allowed Baldwin to point the gun at Halyna or Halls to hand over the gun to the actor in the first place.
An ‘Over The Top’ Letter From ‘Rust’ Crew
In December, Baldwin shared a letter from the cast and crew of ‘Rust’ on his social media. As The Blast reported, the letter aimed to dispute claims that the production set was “unsafe” and “chaotic,” causing some employees to even walk off the set.
In the lengthy letter, the crew explained that the letter wasn’t “sanctioned or influenced” by the producers before telling their side of the story. They opened up about the hurt they felt about Hutchins’ death, praising her for being “the heart of our production.”
“We are hurting from the loss of our togetherness, our spirit, and the loss of our labor. We are hurting for our friends that have been targeted by the public as they themselves grieve.”
Protecting the reputation of ”Rust’ the crew and cast claimed that the production was hectic or unprofessional as claimed by tabloids. “Rust was not one of them. Rust was professional. We do acknowledge that no set is perfect, and like any production, Rust had areas of brilliance and areas that were more challenging,” they divulged.
The crew declared their support for reformations in set safety rules and protocols but affirmed that the rumors that “Rust” was chaotic, exploitative, and dangerous were false and drew attention away from the memory and legacy of the late Hutchins.
They also touched on the claims of employees resigning, declaring that the majority of crew members remained behind with only a few walking away. The crew did well to praise the remuneration and working hours on the film set.
