Alec Baldwin faces new lawsuit for ‘Rust’ shooting from victim’s family

SANTE FE, N.M. (Court TV) — Actor Alec Baldwin ‘s legal problems are mounting as he faces a new lawsuit stemming from the deadly shooting on the set of his movie, “Rust.”

FILE – Alec Baldwin emcees the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award Gala at New York Hilton Midtown on Dec. 9, 2021, in New York. On Friday, May 24, 2024, a New Mexico judge rejected a request by Baldwin to dismiss the sole criminal charge against him in a fatal shooting on the set of “Rust,” keeping the case on track for a trial this summer. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

Baldwin, who is scheduled to stand trial this summer on charges of involuntary manslaughter for the shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza, is now facing a civil suit filed by Hutchins’ family and a member of the crew. Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has maintained that he never pulled the gun’s trigger.

The lawsuit, filed by Hutchins’ mother, father and sister as well as Mamie Mitchell, who worked as the script supervisor on “Rust,” accuses Baldwin of assault and battery, infliction of emotional distress and accuses a much larger group of people associated with the movie of negligence.

Hannah Gutierrez , who was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in March for her role in the deadly shooting as the film’s armorer, is also named in the lawsuit, along with others involved with the film who testified at her trial, including assistant director David Halls , prop master Sarah Zachry and ammunition supplier Seth Kenney .

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Olga Solovey and Anatolii Androsovych, Hutchins’ parents, and her sister, Svetlana Zemko, all live in Kyiv, Ukraine, and filed the lawsuit with Mitchell, who as the script supervisor had been standing next to Hutchins when she was shot.

“In the days before the shooting, unexpected gun discharges had been reported on the set of the production of “ Rust “. ‘This is super unsafe,’ a camera operator wrote in a text message to the “ Rust ” production manager. Additionally, on the day of the shooting, but prior to it, union camera operators and their assistants had walked off the job to protest working conditions, including concerns about safety on the set.”

While the negligence and lack of safety, including a failure to have a staffed medical team on the set, is alleged to be the fault of the producers as well as Halls, Zachry, Kenney and Gutierrez, the plaintiffs say it was Baldwin who shoulders much of the blame.

“Defendant Baldwin chose to play Russian Roulette with a loaded gun without checking it and without having the Armorer do so. His behavior and that of the Producers on “Rust” were intentional and/or negligent acts and/or omissions, without any just cause or excuse and with utter disregard of the consequences of said acts and/or commissions.”

Baldwin, members of the crew and the movie’s producers previously settled a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Hutchins’ widow and son . That lawsuit was settled, but the terms of the agreement were sealed.