Alec Baldwin posted a video to his Instagram account vowing to overcome “negativity” in the aftermath of a fatal shooting on the set of the film “Rust.”
Baldwin was handling what he believed was an unloaded prop gun on the Santa Fe set in October when the gun discharged and killed the film’s director of photography, Halnya Hutchins. The film’s director, Joel Souza, was injured when he was struck by the same bullet.
The shooting is under investigation and authorities have not filed any charges. Numerous questions remain about how a live bullet was loaded into a gun that the film crew believed was “cold,” meaning without any live rounds.
In the video posted to Baldwin’s Instagram account on January 1, the actor opened with an anecdote about a young woman who wrote him a supportive note on a package of Splenda at a restaurant in Long Island, where Baldwin said he was having lunch with a friend. He discussed that situation and explained that he wanted to photograph the Splenda packet but had lost it. Three minutes into the video he addressed the death of the 42-year-old mother who died on the set of “Rust.”
“I’ve had more people who have been kind and thoughtful and generous of spirit than I’ve had people who are malignant about the death of Halyna Hutchins,” Baldwin said, as noted in the New York Post.
“I’m not afraid to say that and to couch that in some euphemisms, somebody died very tragically … I’ve gotten so much, I mean so much, goodwill from people. It’s just incredible.”
Baldwin did not again bring up Hutchins’ name in the 13-minute video, in which he discussed his hopes for the new year and said he was seeking spiritual guidance to overcome negativity. He did address the ongoing investigation into the shooting.
“This has been surely the worst situation I’ve ever been involved with and I’m very hopeful that the people in charge with investigating this whole thing get to the truth as soon as possible.”
“No one wants the truth more than I do,” Baldwin said.
Towards the end of the video Baldwin again thanked his supporters, and said, “to the people who offered me the opposite of support, I understand.”
“Thank you to everyone who has been kind to me,” Baldwin said before explaining that one of his children had caused a visible scratch on his nose. “Happy New Year,” he said in closing.
