Alec Baldwin ‘Voluntarily’ Turned Over His iPhone For ‘Rust’ Investigation

Actor Alec Baldwin has finally turned over his phone to authorities.

The actor, who said that he was fully cooperating with the investigation into the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust,” was asked by authorities to turn over his phone to aid in the investigation.

On December 16, the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office sent out a search warrant for the “30 Rock” actor’s phone. Many took Baldwin’s hesitance to give up his phone as signs that he was not planning to comply with the search warrant.

However, Baldwin insisted in an Instagram video posted last week that he was going to comply with the search warrant and that the delay was caused by New Mexico authorities having to channel the request through officials in his home state of New York.

“Any suggestion that I am not complying with requests or orders or demands or search warrants about my phone… that’s bulls—, that’s a lie,” he began.

“This is a process where one state makes the request to another state,” he explained. “Someone from another state can’t come to you and say ‘give me your phone, give me this, give me that.’ They can’t do that. They’ve got to go through the state you live in and that’s a process that takes time.”

“They have to specify what exactly they want,” he continued. “They can’t just go through your phone and take, you know, your photos or your love letters to your wife or what have you. I really don’t know, but…”

“But, of course, we are a thousand percent going to comply with all that,” he added. “We are, you know, perfectly fine with that and the, um, I always say, consider the source and the people who tell you that.”

“The best way, the only way, we can honor the death of Halyna Hutchins is to find out the truth,” he went on. “That’s what I’m working toward, insisting on, demanding, that the organizations involved in this investigation do everything in their power – everything in their power – to find out what really happened.”

“That’s all that matters,” he continued. “The best way to honor the death of Halyna Hutchins is to find out the truth. And any suggestion that would not comply myself and, um, with any lawyers with or what have you is a lie; it’s a lie. As soon as we go through this process, then by all means, we will comply.

“But I have no worries about that,” he said. “It’s all going to work itself out.”

On Friday, January 14, Baldwin’s iPhone was handed over to authorities in Suffolk County, where he lives. They were also given Baldwin’s password to unlock his phone. New York state police say that they will be examining the device for “relevant information.”

In a statement to Deadline, Baldwin’s attorney Aaron Dyer explained that Baldwin voluntarily handed his phone over to authorities.

“Alec voluntarily provided his phone to the authorities this morning so they can finish their investigation,” he said.

A civil attorney from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP stated, “But this matter isn’t about his phone, and there are no answers on his phone. Alec did nothing wrong. It was clear that he was told it was a cold gun, and was following instructions when this tragic accident occurred. The real question that needs to be answered is how live rounds got on the set in the first place.”

At the beginning of December, the cast and crew of “Rust” shared a statement on social media, firing back at allegations that the set of the Western film was “unsafe.”

The letter calls Hutchins “the heart of our production.” They called Hutchins’ work ethic “inspiring” and said that “we were working to our highest ability to support her vision.”

The letter adds that “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.”

They continue to say that “Rust” was a “professional” film set and that, “like any production, ‘Rust’ had areas of brilliance and areas that were more challenging.” The letter continues to say that “The descriptions of ‘Rust’ as a chaotic, dangerous, and exploitative workplace are false” and that they distract from the memory of Hutchins.

“While it is true that a few crew members quit prior to the accident, the vast majority of us remained, never feeling the need to protest or quit,” the letter went on. “We were enjoying our workplace. Those disgruntled few do not represent the views of all of us.”

They concluded the message by asking that “your speculation and generalization about us and our colleagues be sympathetic until an investigation is concluded.”