Alec Baldwin sued by three Rust crew members over death of cinematographer

Three crew members on the set of Rust are suing actor Alec Baldwin and others over the death of the film’s cinematographer.

Ross Addiego, Doran Curtin and Reese Price say they have suffered anxiety and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder since a prop gun held by Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on set in October 2021.

The lawsuit says that the crew members were near Baldwin when Ms Hutchins was shot and that they all suffered from blast injuries.

Jacob G Vigil, a lawyer for the three, said: “Production of the gun-heavy western film required an experienced firearms expert and safety-minded leadership.

“Rust had neither.

“Instead, producers contracted an inexperienced armorer and set leaders with histories of safety violations.

“The multiple complaints from crew members about dangerous set conditions including firearms discharges, lack of rehearsals, and denial of dedicated armorer days, were ignored while cast and crew were allowed to handle firearms without proper training.

“Several crew members resigned from the film in response to leadership’s inaction.”

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The defendants named in the lawsuit – Baldwin, Rust Movie Productions, and El Dorado Pictures – “cut corners and ignored safety rules”, Mr Vigil said, adding that they “put the quick and cheap production of Rust ahead of the safety of the cast and crew”.

Also among the complaints are accusations that Baldwin did not pay attention during weapons training, that he failed to make sure the gun was not loaded with a live bullet and that he discharged the round.

Baldwin has denied pulling the trigger.

A number of other lawsuits have been filed over the incident, including one from Ms Hutchins’s widower Matthew, her parents and her sister.

Last week, Baldwin pleaded not guilty to two charges of involuntary manslaughter over the death of Ms Hutchins.

He will next face a preliminary hearing at a date yet to be set, which will determine whether the case will go to trial.

The Santa Fe District Attorney’s office recently dropped a firearm enhancement to the charge, which would have made the crime punishable by a mandatory five years in jail.