Actor and producer Alec Baldwin is determined to share his side of the story regarding the 2021 Rust shooting, which left cinematographer Halyna Hutchins dead and director Joel Souza injured. Speaking candidly on the latest episode of the Fail Better podcast with David Duchovny, Baldwin reflected on the fallout from the tragedy and his plans to “expose what really happened.”
“People Have Just Dined Out”
The actor described the past three years as a relentless ordeal, marked by public scrutiny and legal battles.
“These last three years, people have just dined out,” Baldwin said. “In this country, when people hate you on that level, they want three things: They want you to die. They want you to go to prison. And the third thing is they want you canceled, which is like being in prison or being dead because you roam the earth and you’re invisible.”
On October 21, 2021, Baldwin was handling a prop gun on the set of the Western film Rust when it accidentally discharged, killing Hutchins and injuring Souza. Baldwin has consistently denied pulling the trigger or having knowledge of how live ammunition ended up in the gun.
Legal Challenges and Vindication
In January 2023, Baldwin was initially charged with involuntary manslaughter, but those charges were dropped after additional investigation. The case was reopened in January 2024, but by July, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the charges with prejudice, citing significant misconduct by the police and prosecutors, including a Brady violation for withholding evidence.
Baldwin addressed these legal challenges on the podcast, saying:
“There’s more to come, but the more to come is now my effort, and it’s going to be undeniably a successful effort, to raise and to expose what really happened.”
He expressed frustration at being on the defensive throughout the process:
“I was counterpunching. I was on the defensive. I was being accused. I was being indicted. The truth of what happened has never been told.”
Looking Ahead
Despite the controversy, Baldwin has begun rebuilding his life and career.
“I do believe that, by the communications I’ve had lately, things are coming back my way to work, and I’m happy about that because I’ve got seven kids,” Baldwin shared.
While acknowledging the challenges, he expressed optimism:
“I’ve also enjoyed the fact that there’s so much of this case that is not known because we didn’t have a full trial.”
For Baldwin, the next steps are clear: continuing to work, supporting his family, and unveiling his version of events to the public.
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