Lawsuit says Rust script didn't require actor Alec Baldwin to fire gun
November 18, 2021, 1:34 am

Lawsuit says Rust script didn't require actor Alec Baldwin to fire gun

Alec Baldwin/Facebook

The BBC reported, a lawsuit against Alec Baldwin alleges that a film script did not require him to fire a gun when he fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Script supervisor Mamie Mitchell - who called police after the shooting on the New Mexico film set - filed the suit.

Her lawyer accused the actor of "playing Russian roulette" when he fired the gun without checking it.

Mr Baldwin and the film's producers, who were also named in the lawsuit, have not yet commented.

The Hollywood actor has previously shared comments from a crew member rejecting suggestions that the film set was unsafe.

Halyna Hutchins/Facebook

Authorities are still investigating the 21 October shooting that took place on the set of the Western film Rust. No criminal charges have been brought against anyone.

Ms Mitchell's lawsuit claims that the script called for three tight camera shots - one of Mr Baldwin's eyes, another of a bloodstain on his shoulder and a third of his torso "as he reached his hand down to the holster and removed the gun".

It says: "There was nothing in the script about the gun being discharged by defendant Baldwin or by any other person."

In a news conference on Wednesday, her lawyer Gloria Allred described the behaviour of Mr Baldwin and the film's producers as "reckless", as she accused them of failing to follow safety protocols.

According to court records, Mr Baldwin was handed the weapon by the film's assistant director who did not know it contained live ammunition and indicated it was unloaded by shouting "cold gun".

Ms Allred said Mr Baldwin "chose to play Russian roulette when he fired a gun without checking it and without having the armourer do so in his presence".

She added that a range of safety failures meant that it was "a case where injury or death was much more than just a possibility — it was a likely result".

Ms Mitchell was standing less than 4ft (1.2m) away from Mr Baldwin when the weapon was discharged, according to the lawsuit.

Read more: Human remains found in New Zealand coal mine 11 years after series of explosions

She told reporters: "I relive the shooting and the sound of the explosion from the gun over and over again."

Her lawsuit is claiming assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and deliberate infliction of harm, and is requesting unspecified damages.

It is the second to be filed over the incident, after the set's head electrician began legal action earlier this month.

The film's armourer, who was responsible for the guns and ammunition on set, has said she does not know how a live round came to be in the weapon.

Source: BBC

US scientists find Covid spreading in deer and other wild animals Libya's parliament speaker announces to run for president in upcoming elections

Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.