Three ‘Rust’ crew members have filed a lawsuit against Alec Baldwin and the film’s producers alleging that they have suffered anxiety and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the fatal 2021 on-set shooting of the film’s cinematographer.
Alec Baldwin Sued By ‘Rust’ Crew Members
The three crew members were in the church building at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico, when Baldwin’s gun fired, striking cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and director Joel Souza.
The lawsuit, which alleges negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress, was filed by dolly operator, Ross Addiego, set customer, Doran Curtin and key grip, Reese Price who claim they were among the seven people in the church set on the day the shooting happened. It names Baldwin, his El Dorado Pictures Company and Rust Movie Productions LLC as defendants in the case.
According to the suit, all three were in close proximity to Baldwin when the gun was fired, and suffered blast injuries from the deafening sound of the shot.
The lawsuit also alleges that the producers cut corners and hired people who had been the subject of previous safety complaints, including David Halls, the first assistant director. The suit also faults the producers for hiring armourer Hannah Gutierrez Reed despite her lack of experience, because they allegedly wanted a quick and cheap production.
The lawsuit faults Baldwin for not paying attention during weapons training, for failing to ensure that the gun was not loaded with a live bullet, and for discharging the round.
Narrating how Hutchins was shot dead, they claimed Gutierrez-Reed told Halls that she didn’t have a chance to check the gun before handing it off to him. Halls then took it and told Alec it was “cold” without checking.
The three crew members place a lot of the blame on what they claim was the producers’ decision to use “operable firearms” during seventeen of the twenty-one scheduled film days despite the option to use alternatives like replicas, rubber prop guns, or special effects.
The three plaintiffs join several other crew members who have filed suits in New Mexico and California, including the script supervisor, set medic and gaffer. In one of those suits, Baldwin’s lawyers filed a counterclaim alleging that four other people were at fault in the shooting, but he was not.
Alec is already dealing with other lawsuits from other crew members and also facing criminal charges from New Mexico which he has pled not guilty.
