Alec Baldwin is facing a civil trial over the 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutches on the set of the movie Rust.
Key Points
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A gaffer on the production is alleging that Baldwin's negligence caused him emotional distress.
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The actor previously was previously tried for involuntary manslaughter, with the charges dismissed.
Alec Baldwin's days in court aren't yet over.
The Oscar-nominated actor previously faced involuntary manslaughter charges stemming from the2021 on-set shooting ofRustcinematographer Halyna Hutchins. And while that case was officially dismissed, Baldwin is now dealing with a civil trial over alleged negligence.
Rustgaffer Serge Svetnoy is arguing that he suffered emotional distress after Baldwin fired a gun that turned out to contain a live round, which resulted in the death of Hutchins.
On Friday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Maurice Leiter allowed Svetnoy's case to move forward, while also throwing out the allegations of assault, believing that there was no intention of harm from Baldwin.
"As to intent, the analysis is different on this claim than on the assault claim… A reasonable jury could find that Mr. Baldwin recklessly disregarded the probability that pointing a gun in the direction of someone, with the finger on the trigger, would cause emotional distress," the judge wrote in his summary.
An attorney for Sventoy, John Upton, said in a statement toEntertainment Weekly, "We are pleased with the Court's decision to deny the motions for summary judgment brought by Rust Movie Productions and Alex Baldwin. These rulings enable our client to present his case at a jury trial, now scheduled for October of this year. He looks forward to finally having his day in court on this long-pending matter."
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EW has reached out to representatives for Baldwin for comment.
In January 2023, Baldwinwas chargedwith involuntary manslaughter, and despite thecharges being droppedmonths later, he wascharged againin January 2024. A judgedismissed the casewith prejudice in July 2024, meaning it couldn't be refiled again.Rustarmorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and served 13 months in prison.
"That was unspeakably difficult to deal with,"Baldwin recently said. "Because of the situation, I wound up staying home a lot. I was home with my kids for three-and-a-half years — I hardly worked at all — and that's just changing now. I'm going to go off and do a bunch of things. But I was home and I got used to it, and I don't want to leave my house anymore. I don't want to work anymore. I want to retire and stay home with my kids."
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Rustwas eventually completed and released last year after asettlement was reachedbetween the producers (including Baldwin) and Hutchins' family, who filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2022. Additionally, with the cooperation of Baldwin, director Rory Kennedy recently premiered the documentaryThe Trial of Alec Baldwin.
A trial date for the latest civil case is currently set for Oct. 12, with the judge reportedly noting, "I'm a little concerned about this case going on and on and on when it should be coming to a resolution."
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