Lawyers for the late Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Alec Baldwin and others involved with the film, claiming producers’ cost-cutting measures cost Hutchins her life.
Brian Panish, the lawyer representing the Hutchins family, said at a press conference Tuesday the goal was to “hold the people accountable who are responsible and to seek compensation just and fair for Matt Hutchins and his son.”
“He understands that a lawsuit is necessary to get answers,” Panish said. “He wants answers. He wants closure.”
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Panish showed a CGI reenactment of the deadly October shooting. They pointed most of the blame toward Baldwin, claiming the actor repeatedly violated industry standards during the film’s production.
The Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office has been investigating the on-set shooting as a criminal matter, seeking to determine how a live round made it onto the Rust set.
The lawsuit is one of multiple filed against the film’s producers. Script supervisor Mamie Mitchell, gaffer Serge Svetnoy, and medic Cherlyn Schaefey have all claimed the conditions set by producers led to the on-set death.
Baldwin has asked for Mitchell’s case to be thrown out due to the accident taking place in a workplace, arguing it should be filed through a workers’ compensation program.
Representatives for Baldwin and the production company behind Rust did not immediately return requests for comment.
