Rust shooting: Alec Baldwin cries as he denies pulling trigger of gun that killed Halyna Hutchins
The interview will air in full on ABC this week
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Alec Baldwin has given his first interview since the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust.
The actor, who allegedly fired the fatal shot from what he believed was a safe “cold gun”, spoke to ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos on Tuesday (30 November).
Earlier on Wednesday (1 December), Stephanopoulos confirmed he and Baldwin spoke for an hour and 20 minutes and he called the conversation “intense,” “raw” and “very candid”.
Now, in a new clip shared from the interview by ABC, Baldwin can be seen breaking down in tears and denying that he pulled the trigger of the gun.
He said: “The trigger wasn’t pulled, I didn’t pull the trigger,” he said. “I would never point a gun at anyone at point a trigger at them, never.”
He continued: “Someone put a live bullet in a gun – a bullet that wasn’t even supposed to be on the property,” Baldwin added.
He went on to agree with Stephanopoulos who asked him if this was the “worst thing to have ever happened to him.” Baldwin replied “yes” and added: “‘I think back, I think: ‘What could I have done?’”
The interview will air on Thursday (2 December) at 8pm ET on ABC. You can see a clip from the interview here:
When speaking on ABC earlier on Wednesday, Stephanopoulos added that Baldwin was “very forthcoming” in his answers and went into more detail with him about what happened on the set.
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
He explained: “I’ve done thousands of interviews in the last twenty years at ABC over the years but this was the most intense I’ve ever experienced. [It was] so raw – as you can imagine, he’s devastated. He was also very candid, he was very forthcoming, he answered every question. He talked about Halyna Hutchins, talked about meeting with her family as well. [He] went through in detail what happened on the set that day.”
The shooting is currently under investigation, with a new search warrant suggesting how live bullets may have ended up on the film’s set.
Baldwin’s interview will be the first time the actor has spoken at length about the tragedy.
Following Hutchins’s death, he said: “There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours.
“I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.”
The incident caused a widespread debate on the use of firearms on film sets and whether they should be permanently replaced with rubber and airsoft guns instead.
Hollywood stars, including Rian Johnson, are stating that gunshot effects should be added in post-production.