(Los Angeles) American actor Alec Baldwin, author of a fatal shooting on the set of the film Rust in 2021, is the subject of a complaint from the Ukrainian parents and the sister of his victim, the family lawyer announced on Thursday.
On October 21, 2021, this filming on a ranch in New Mexico (southwestern United States) had turned tragic when Mr. Baldwin had activated a weapon supposed to contain only blank bullets, but including a very real projectile killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, and injured director Joel Souza.
This rare news item had shocked Hollywood and had a strong impact, triggering calls to ban firearms on the sets, where the presence of live ammunition is in theory already prohibited.
Alec Baldwin is currently being prosecuted in New Mexico for manslaughter and faces a prison sentence, as is the film’s gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.
Separately, the Ukrainian family of Mme Hutchins has decided to file a civil suit against the actor and the California-based production of the film in a Los Angeles court, their attorney Gloria Allred said.
“Halyna was the light of their life. […] For our three clients, the tragic loss of their daughter and sister is heartbreaking,” she told a news conference. “But on top of this tragedy, they have to try to absorb this loss while living in Ukraine, in the midst of (Vladimir) Putin’s war. »
“Losing my sister […] was a terrible experience,” Svetlana Zemko said in a video released on Thursday. “I believe giving up and letting this go unpunished is unacceptable. »
Alec Baldwin, 64, particularly known for his role in the series 30Rock, has always claimed his innocence. According to him, he was assured that his weapon was harmless, and he denies having pulled the trigger. An assertion questioned by many experts.
In October, the actor announced that he had reached an agreement ending the civil lawsuits brought by Halyna Hutchins’ widower, Matthew. Its amount had not been disclosed, and the resumption of filming of Rust had been announced for early 2023, with Matthew Hutchins serving as executive producer.
“The agreement was for Matthew and his child” and “there was no agreement” for the deceased cinematographer’s mother, father and sister, Gloria Allred said. According to the lawyer, Alec Baldwin “did not even contact them […] to say he was sorry.
” We want […] justice is done to them, it’s as simple as that, ”she concluded.