Matthew Hutchins, the widower of Halyna Hutchins, says in an upcoming “Today” show interview that it was “absurd” for Mr. Baldwin to deny responsibility in the fatal shooting.
The widower of Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer killed by Alec Baldwin on the “Rust” film set in New Mexico last year, said in an upcoming television interview that he was angry with the actor for denying responsibility in the fatal shooting.
“The idea that the person holding the gun and causing it to discharge is not responsible is absurd to me,” Matthew Hutchins told Hoda Kotb in an interview for NBC’s “Today” show that is scheduled to be broadcast Thursday morning. The program posted a brief excerpt from the interview on Wednesday as a preview.
Last year, Mr. Baldwin, who had been told that the gun did not contain live ammunition before he handled it, said in a television interview that “someone is responsible for what happened, and I can’t say who that is, but I know it’s not me.” He said that he had not pulled the trigger before the gun discharged, suggesting that it could have gone off after he had pulled the hammer back.
Mr. Hutchins, who recently sued Mr. Baldwin along with other producers and crew members on the film, took issue with his account.
“I was just so angry to see him talk about her death so publicly in such a detailed way and then to not accept any responsibility after having just described killing her,” Mr. Hutchins said in the NBC interview.
His wrongful-death lawsuit against Mr. Baldwin and the others was filed earlier this month. The suit accuses Mr. Baldwin of having “recklessly shot and killed Halyna Hutchins” and said he should not have pointed the gun at anyone on the set. Any money recovered from the suit would be split between Mr. Hutchins and his 9-year-old son.
Mr. Baldwin said in last year’s interview with ABC News that he had met with Mr. Hutchins and his son after the fatal shooting, recalling that he told Mr. Hutchins, “I don’t know how to convey to you how sorry I am and how I’m willing to do anything I can to cooperate.”
Aaron Dyer, a lawyer for Mr. Baldwin, did not immediately reply to a request for comment but said in response to the lawsuit that “any claim that Alec was reckless is entirely false” and that actors should be able to rely on armorers and members of the prop department to ensure that the guns are safe to handle on set.
