Ukrainian relatives of Halyne Hutchins are seeking compensation from Baldwin, who killed Hutchins after firing a gun on the set.
Ukrainian relatives of a slain cinematographer are seeking compensation for her death from actor Alec Baldwin in connection with a fatal shooting on the set of a western, according to a civil lawsuit filed in the United States.
A new lawsuit against Baldwin was filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court on behalf of the parents of cameraman Halyne Hutchins and her younger sister. She works as a nurse in Ukraine on the outskirts of the capital, Kiev, while her Ukrainian husband fights with that country’s army to defend against Russian forces that invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Hutchins died shortly after being injured during a rehearsal for Rust in October 2021, held at a ranch in suburban Santa Fe, New Mexico. Baldwin was pointing the gun at Hutchins when he fired the gun, killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
The lawsuit alleges negligence and denial of benefits, based on emotional or financial support Hutchins provided to her younger sister Svetlana Zemko and parents Olga Solovey and Anatoly Androsovych.
The lawsuit names a long list of Rust crew members, the ammunition supplier, the film’s producers and related companies as defendants.
Separately, Baldwin and Rust’s gun supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed face involuntary manslaughter charges in a New Mexico district court. They are scheduled to make their first court appearance, via remote access, later this month for a plea hearing.
Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed said they would contest the charges, while the assistant director agreed to plead guilty to lesser charges.
Gloria Allred, an attorney based in Santa Monica, California, described Zemko as a busy emergency room nurse raising a newborn and four-year-old while her husband fights on behalf of Ukraine in the war against Russia.
At a news conference, Allred said Zemko “had a very close and loving relationship with her older sister, Halyn, and she feels strongly that whoever is responsible for her loss must be held accountable.”
Attorneys for Baldwin could not be reached for comment.
Matthew Hutchins, the widower of Halyne Hutchins, reached an undisclosed settlement with Baldwin and other Rust producers late last year. Part of the settlement calls for Matthew to be a producer on Rust as he potentially continues filming.
Baldwin tried to clear his name by suing the people involved in the handling and delivery of the loaded gun. Also a co-producer on Rust, Baldwin said he was told the gun was safe.
In his lawsuit, Baldwin said that while working camera angles with Hutchins, he pointed the gun in her direction, pulled back and released the weapon’s hammer, which fired.
The new lawsuit against Baldwin, although filed in California, relies on provisions of New Mexico state law regarding denial of benefits, also known as “loss of consortium.”