Editor’s Note: Whether on screen or off, Hollywood can always be counted on to keep us entertained. This is especially true when it comes to politics. Liberty Nation's Hollyweird column shines the spotlight on Tinseltown’s A-listers and their wild and wacky takes on today’s current events.
Alec Baldwin can cross off at least one of his legal worries. Matt Hutchins, widower of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, has agreed to settle the civil lawsuit he filed against Baldwin and the other producers of the western Rust. Halyna was killed on the film set by a bullet fired from the actor's gun. And – in what some might consider a strange turn of events – part of the agreement includes Matt becoming the executive producer of the movie.
“We have reached a settlement, subject to court approval, for our wrongful death case against the producers of ‘Rust,’ including Alec Baldwin and Rust Movie Projections, LLC,” Hutchins told Fox News Digital via his attorney. “As part of that settlement, our case will be dismissed.” The statement continued:
"The filming of ‘Rust,’ which I will now executive produce, will resume with all the original principal players on board in January 2023. I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin). All of us believe Halyna’s death was a terrible accident. I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna’s final work."
That is quite the turnaround from Hutchins’ earlier attitude. After Baldwin’s interview with George Stephanopoulos on Dec. 2, 2021, as Liberty Nation reported, the widower was unsympathetic toward the actor. “Watching him I just felt so angry to see him talk about her death publicly in such a detailed way and then not accepting any responsibility after he just described killing her,” Hutchins had told Hoda Kotb of Today. “Hearing him blame Halyna in the interview and shift responsibility to others and seeing him cry about it, I just feel like, are we really supposed to feel bad about you Mr. Baldwin?”
Alec Baldwin (Photo by MEGA/GC Images)
But Alec can’t breathe easy yet. This was only the civil case; the formal criminal investigation remains. New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies requested emergency funding just to pursue the case and said she plans on prosecuting up to four defendants. “One of the possible defendants is well-known movie actor Alec Baldwin,” she wrote in the paperwork filed for the grant.
The movie's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, who has also been the subject of lawsuits, is hopeful this settlement will help her case. Her attorney, Jason Bowles, said they hoped it will be seen as a “measure of Justice” and that “Hannah is grateful that this settlement will benefit the Hutchins family and the parties were able to constructively resolve the civil lawsuit.” He added, “We are hopeful that the district attorneys office will also recognize that a measure of Justice has been achieved in regards to this tragic accident, and that they will opt not to pursue criminal charges.”
Spokesperson for the Office of the First Judicial District Attorney of New Mexico, Heather Brewer, indicated the civil suit settlement will not have an impact on possible criminal proceedings. In a statement, she said:
“While civil suits are settled privately and often involve financial awards, criminal cases deal only in facts. If the facts and evidence warrant charges under New Mexico law then charges will be brought. No one is above the law.”
Tune in next time to see what else Tinseltown has planned.
