Alec Baldwin Facing Lawyer Gloria Allred in Family’s “Rust” Shooting Lawsuit

Alec Baldwin is now facing a second lawsuit over the fatal 2021 shooting on the New Mexico set of the movie Rust, with this new case coming from the victim’s parents and sister, who are represented by powerhouse victims’ rights attorney Gloria Allred.

Displaying photos of Hutchins with her mother, father, and sister and describing the wrenching grief in which they’ve been living since the tragedy, Allred and attorney John Carpenter announced the suit on Thursday after the complaint was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Throughout their press conference, Allred—who represented the ex-girlfriend of convicted wife-killer Scott Peterson and the family of Nicole Brown Simpson— made references to the ongoing war in Ukraine, where the family members live and Hutchins’s mother is a frontline nurse.

“We want accountability and justice for them. It’s as simple as that,” Allred told reporters. “We look forward to victory for Ukraine and justice for the parents and sisters of Halyna Hutchins. Glory to Ukraine.”

On Jan. 31 prosecutors in New Mexico charged Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter for the Oct. 21, 2021 death of Hutchins. The actor was preparing for a scene in the western movie at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near La Cienega when the Colt revolver he was holding, which was being used as a prop, discharged. In addition to Hutchins’s death, director Joel Souza was seriously injured in the incident. 

While announcing the civil suit, Allred played a video of Olga Solovey and Svetlana Zemko, Hutchins’ mother and sister, in which the latter called her sister’s death “one of the biggest losses” of her life. Zemko adds in the video that her parents have suffered “devastating” effects since Hutchins’ death and have seen their health decline.

“It is for this reason that I would like those who are at fault, for somebody, to carry that responsibility. And not just someone, but that very someone who is truly responsible for this,” Zemko said, via a translator. “I believe to let this go and to leave this unpunished is unallowable.”

Baldwin reached a settlement for an undisclosed figure with the late cinematographer’s husband, Matthew Hutchins, in October. But Allred made it clear that this “was for Matthew and his child,” emphasizing that this new case involves the impact Hutchins’ on-set killing has had on other family members.

“There has been no settlement for them. In fact, there has been no outreach to them by Mr. Baldwin to even say he was sorry,” she said, adding, “we’re not there to second guess [Hutchins’ husband]. We’re there to support him.”

Matthew Hutchins’ lawyer Brian Panish, however, said he doesn’t “believe any other family members have a claim under New Mexico or California law.”

“Neither Mr. Hutchins nor his attorneys were made aware of the family’s intention to file a lawsuit before today,” Panish said.

Allred also represents script supervisor Mamie Mitchell, who called 911 after the gun discharged, in a separate lawsuit against Baldwin.

Baldwin’s lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment from LAMag.

The family’s 32-page complaint includes four claims: battery; intentional infliction of emotional distress; negligence; and loss of consortium. There is no claim for wrongful death. It seeks undisclosed damages “related to the direct harm to the relationship” between Hutchins and her family members and the “resulting emotional distress due to the loss of loss of love, companionship, comfort, care, assistance, protection, affection, society, guidance, training, assistance, and moral support of Halyna Hutchins.”

The complaint states that a film industry-wide safety bulletin for the on-set use of guns “mandates that all firearms are to be treated as though they are loaded because, as Alec Baldwin knew, guns are inherently dangerous weapons.” 

Baldwin “should have assumed that the gun in question was loaded, unless and until it was demonstrated to him or checked by him that it was not loaded,” the complaint says.

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