Alec Baldwin has posted a heartfelt open letter on Instagram reportedly on behalf of some the crew from Rust.
The letter defends the working conditions on the film’s set, in spite of the incident that took place on October 21, when authorities said that Baldwin discharged a prop firearm on set at Bonanza Creed Ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Hutchins, 42, was airlifted to hospital but later died from her injuries.
Baldwin recently deleted his Twitter account days after his first TV interview about the recent Rust tragedy, in which he claimed he didn’t pull the trigger which killed Hutchins and injured Rust director Joel Souza.
However, Baldwin used Instagram yesterday (December 9) to express that the crew of Rust “believe the public narrative surrounding our workplace tragedy to be inadequate and wish to express a more accurate account of our experience.”
“This letter is written on behalf of the cast and crew of the film production, Rust. It has not been sanctioned or influenced in any way by the producers,” the letter began.
“The descriptions of Rust as a chaotic, dangerous and exploitative workplace are false and distract from what matters the most: the memory of (DP) Halyna Hutchins, and the need to find modern alternatives to outdated industry firearm and safety practices.”
Baldwin, on behalf of the 25 crew members said to have signed the letter, continued: “Unfortunately, in the film industry, it is common to work on unprofessional or hectic productions to gain experience and credits.
“Many of us have worked on those types of productions. Rust was not one of them. Rust was professional. We do acknowledge that no set is perfect, and like any production, Rust had areas of brilliance and areas that were more challenging.”
Meanwhile, police are pursuing new leads on possible sources of ammunition that led to the fatal shooting on the film set.
“The Sheriff’s Office has taken a huge step forward today to unearth the full truth of who put the live rounds on the Rust set, by executing a search warrant on PDQ Arm & Prop, owned by Armorer-Mentor, Seth Kenney,” the attorney for the armourer on the film, Hannah Gutierrez Reed said.