Actor Alec Baldwin has shared an open letter in which cast and crew members from the film Rust — where a woman was killed by a live bullet — push back against portrayals of the movie set as unsafe.
Key points:
- The letter was signed by 25 members of the film’s cast and crew
- They said morale before the fatal shooting was high, and working conditions were fair
- Two crew members have filed civil lawsuits accusing Alec Baldwin and others of negligence
Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed when she was hit by a bullet from a gun which was being handled by Baldwin on the set in New Mexico.
In the letter, posted on Mr Baldwin’s Instagram account, 25 people who worked on the film described a set where morale was high and working conditions fair.
“The descriptions of Rust as a chaotic, dangerous, and exploitative workplace are false and distract from what matters the most: the memory of Halyna Hutchins, and the need to find modern alternatives to outdated industry firearm and safety practices,” they wrote.
Mr Baldwin, who is also one of Rust’s producers, denied responsibility for the fatal shooting in a lengthy television interview last week.
He said a crew member had told him the gun was safe.
The letter’s signatories acknowledged that “a few crew members” quit prior to the accidental shooting, but said the vast majority remained.
“Those disgruntled few do not represent the views of all of us,” they said.
Two crew members have filed civil lawsuits accusing Mr Baldwin and others of negligence and lax safety protocols on the set.
New Mexico District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said last week that some of the people who handled guns on the set of the Western movie could face criminal charges.
Reuters
