A judge has approved the settlement in the “Rust” lawsuit involving actor Alec Baldwin for the son of Halyna Hutchins.
The “Rust” cinematographer was shot and killed on the set of the Western film in October 2021 when a gun that the actor was holding went off. Halyna’s widow, Matthew Hutchins, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in February 2022.
The lawsuit, which was settled in October 2022, also involved the couple’s son, who is a minor. Now that the court has approved the settlement, it means that the family will be able to get compensated for her death.
Judge Approves Settlement In Alec Baldwin’s ‘Rust’ Lawsuit To Protect The Privacy Of Halyna Hutchins’ Son
In court documents obtained by The Blast, District Court Judge Bryan Biedscheid signed the order to approve the settlement in the wrongful death lawsuit that involved actor Alec Baldwin and other “Rust” producers. As part of the settlement, the terms of the agreement will remain undisclosed.
The records and the approval hearings will be sealed in the civil complaint in order to protect Hutchins’ son’s right to privacy. Prior to making his decision, Judge Biedscheid said that the child’s right to privacy was the main factor in his decision, saying, “What is driving my decision is really the interests of the minor child. And that is one of the very most powerful reasons to seal a matter,” as per the Associated Press.
Matthew Hutchins Has Become An Executive Producer As Part Of The Settlement
When the settlement was reached last year, Matthew Hutchins released a statement, saying, “We have reached a settlement, subject to court approval, for our wrongful death case against the producers of Rust, including Alec Baldwin and Rust Movie Productions, LLC. As part of that settlement, our case will be dismissed.”
“I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin),” Hutchins added. “All of us believe Halyna’s death was a terrible accident. I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna’s final work.”
Hutchins is said to have given his “blessing and support” to the new cinematographer, Bianca Cline, who has worked on the critically acclaimed “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On.” According to Rust Movie Productions, Cline will donate her salary to charity.
Criminal Charges Against Alec Baldwin Have Been Dismissed
In January 2023, both Alec Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed were charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter for the death of Halyna Hutchins. In late April, the charges against the actor were formally dismissed by two new prosecutors brought into the case only weeks before.
In late April, special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis released a statement, saying, “Over the last few days and in preparation for the May 3, 2023, preliminary hearing, new facts were revealed that demand further investigation and forensic analysis in the case against Alexander ‘Alec’ Rae Baldwin, III.”
“Consequently, we cannot proceed under the current time constraints and on the facts and evidence turned over by law enforcement in its existing form,” they continued. “We therefore will be dismissing the involuntary manslaughter charges against Mr. Baldwin to conduct further investigation.”
However, they noted that “This decision does not absolve Mr. Baldwin of criminal culpability and charges may be refiled,” adding, “Our follow-up investigation will remain active and on-going.”
Halyna Hutchins’ Family Wants ‘Justice’ For Their Daughter
In February 2023, one year after Matthew Hutchins had filed his lawsuit against Alec Baldwin and “Rust” producers, Hutchins’ mother Olga Solovey, her father Anatolii Androsovych, and sister Svetlana Zemko, filed a lawsuit against Alec Baldwin, “Rust” producers, and a handful of other companies and individuals claiming negligence that resulted in Halyna’s death.
Attorney Gloria Allred, who represents the family, said that her clients “remain hopeful” that Baldwin will face justice. Allred is also representing “Rust” script supervisor Mamie Mitchell in the lawsuit that she filed against Baldwin and other “Rust” producers in November 2021.
“Mr. Baldwin may pretend that he is not responsible for pulling the trigger and ejecting a live bullet which ended Halyna’s life,” the attorney said in a statement. “He can run to Montana and pretend that he is just an actor in a wild west movie but, in real life, he cannot escape from the fact that he had a major role in a tragedy which had real-life consequences.”
Filming for “Rust” wrapped in Montana last month.
