The American actor is currently being prosecuted by the justice of New Mexico for manslaughter and risks a prison sentence.
The 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, announced Thursday the lawyer of family.
On October 21, 2021, this filming on a ranch in New Mexico (southwest of the United States) had turned tragic when Alec Baldwin had activated a weapon supposed to contain only blank bullets, but of which a very real projectile had 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.
“Giving up and letting it go unpunished is unacceptable”
Separately, the Ukrainian family of Halyna Hutchins has decided to file a civil lawsuit against the actor and the production of the film, based in California, in a court of Los Angeles, explained their lawyer Gloria Allred.
“Halyna was the light of their lives. (…) For our three clients, the tragic loss of their daughter and sister is heartbreaking,” she said at a press 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 Thursday. “I believe giving up and letting this go unpunished is unacceptable.”
An agreement found between the actor and the widower
Alec Baldwin, 64, particularly known for his role in the series “30 Rock”, 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 as executive producer.
“The agreement was for Matthew and his child” and “there was no agreement” for the mother, father and sister of the deceased cinematographer, said Gloria Allred. According to the lawyer, Alec Baldwin “did not even contact them (…) to say he was sorry”.
“We want (…) justice for them, it’s as simple as that,” she concluded.
