Actor Alec Baldwin is requesting that a lawsuit from the family members of the “Rust” cinematographer who was killed on set in 2021 be dropped, calling it “misguided.”
Baldwin said in a court filing on Thursday in California Superior Court for Los Angeles County that Deadline obtained that a settlement that he reached with Matthew Hutchins, the husband of the deceased Halyna Hutchins, in October 2022 should have been the end of the matter.
Hutchins was killed in October 2021 after Baldwin apparently fired a prop gun that contained a live round at her while rehearsing a scene from the movie.
Her mother, father and sister filed a lawsuit in February on counts of battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and a loss of consortium.
The family members seek compensation based on damage to relationships. But Baldwin argues in his most recent filing that Hutchins’ family members had not been closely tied to her for many years.
“The loss of a daughter and sister is undoubtedly painful in any circumstance,” the filing said. “Yet Plaintiffs— who had been distanced from Halyna physically, financially, and emotionally for years before her death — have no viable cause of action against Defendants.”
It also claimed that all three plaintiffs are Ukrainian citizens who live in or near the capital of Kyiv.
Baldwin argues that the lawsuit is “especially misguided” as marriage is necessary for loss of consortium under California law, but Hutchins did not have that relationship with any of the plaintiffs.
The lawsuit names Baldwin, armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, Rust Movie Productions and others involved in the production.
Baldwin’s filing comes about two months after prosecutors dropped firearm enhancement from involuntary manslaughter charges that were filed against Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed. Sante Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies charged both of them with two counts of involuntary manslaughter each.
Baldwin has maintained that he had “no reason” to believe the gun contained live rounds.
The firearm enhancement charge would carry a mandatory five-year prison sentence if convicted, while involuntary manslaughter would only bring up to 18 months.