Judge approves settlement in “Rust” shooting lawsuit by Halyna Hutchins’ family
Written by ABC Audio. All rights reserved. on June 2, 2023
(NEW YORK) — A settlement has been approved in the wrongful death suit filed by Matthew Hutchins and his son following the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the film set of Rust.
The cinematographer died in October 2021 after allegedly being shot by a prop gun that Alec Baldwin, also a producer for the film, was holding during rehearsals on the set, according to police. The actor was practicing a cross-draw when the gun fired, striking Hutchins. The film’s director, Joel Souza, was also injured in the shooting.
A judge issued an order approving the settlement for a minor, Hutchins’ son, on Thursday. All the parties have agreed to settle all claims against the defendants, according to court documents.
Hutchins’ 10-year-old son, Andros Hutchins, will receive his portion of the settlement in annuities that will be paid out over time when he reaches the ages of 18 and 22, according to court documents.
Other documents and materials related to the settlement have been sealed by the court.
Matthew Hutchins filed a suit against the Rust film production company and a number of individuals involved in the production, including Baldwin and the production’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, in February 2022. The two sides came to an agreement in October 2022, but the judge finally signed off Thursday.
The terms of the settlement have not been released publicly and were sealed by a judge in April.
Attorneys for Hutchins’ family filed the wrongful death suit after conducting an investigation into the incident leading them to believe there were numerous violations of industry standards by Baldwin and others charged with safety on the set of Rust, lawyers for the family said last year.
Shooting of the film was suspended after the deadly incident, but resumed in April with Matthew Hutchins as executive producer.
Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed were charged with involuntary manslaughter in February. First assistant director David Halls also agreed to plead no contest for the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.
The charges against Baldwin were dropped in April, at least in part because an investigation revealed the gun used in the incident was mechanically improper.
Investigators effectively conducted an autopsy of the Colt .45 revolver and found that there were worn joints and that the trigger control was not functioning properly, sources told ABC News.
Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
