(Los Angeles) Lawsuits against American actor Alec Baldwin, accused of manslaughter after a fatal shooting on the set of the film Rust in 2021, will be abandoned, his lawyers assured Thursday.
“We welcome the decision to close the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident,” said Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro in a statement sent to AFP.
On October 21, 2021, the shooting of the film Rust on a ranch in New Mexico had turned tragic when Mr. Baldwin had pointed a weapon supposed to contain only blank bullets, but whose very real projectile had killed the cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, and injured the director Joel Souza.
This rare news item had shocked Hollywood and provoked calls to ban firearms on the sets.
The announcement of the closing of the case, revealed Thursday by the specialized magazine Deadlinecomes the same day the resumption of filming of the film in Montana, after a year and a half of interruption.
Alec Baldwin, known in particular for his role in the series 30Rockhas always claimed his innocence and had pleaded not guilty to the charge of manslaughter brought against him.
According to the actor, he was assured that his weapon was harmless, and he denies having pulled the trigger. An assertion questioned by many experts.
After his indictment, his defense immediately denounced a “terrible miscarriage of justice”.
If convicted, the 65-year-old actor could face up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Placed under judicial supervision, the actor, who is also co-producer of Rusthad been allowed to finish filming his western, provided he refrained from drinking alcohol and using firearms or dangerous weapons.
The gunsmith, always pursued
The prosecution had already shown signs of weakness in this case.
In February, the Santa Fe prosecutor decided to drop an aggravating circumstance against Mr. Baldwin, which made him face five years behind bars. She then transferred the file to two other prosecutors, ensuring that her services were overwhelmed by other cases.
Like the actor, the armorer of Rust, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was also charged with manslaughter. According to Variety magazine, justice will maintain these lawsuits.
During the investigation, the police concluded that it was she who had put the ammunition in the weapon used by Mr. Baldwin, instead of a dummy bullet.
At the end of March, the first assistant director of the film, Dave Halls, received a six-month suspended prison sentence in this case. He had handed the gun at the heart of the drama to the actor, assuring him that she was not dangerous, and he had agreed to plead guilty.
Filming for the film has resumed with Halyna Hutchins’ widower, Matthew, serving as executive producer. In October, he dropped his civil lawsuit against Alec Baldwin after an undisclosed settlement.
The Ukrainian parents and the sister of the ex-director of photography, on the other hand, are still claiming civil damages.