Alec Baldwin had always maintained his innocence over the death of Halyna Hutchins.
“Someone is responsible for what happened and I can’t say who that is, but I know it’s not me,” he said in an interview in December 2021, six weeks after the tragedy on the set of Rust in New Mexico.
This was the first on-set shooting in Hollywood in almost 30 years. The main question that needed answering, he said, was how the bullet ended up there in the first place.
Halyna Hutchins was a rising star in her field. Pic: SWEN Studios via Reuters
The film’s armourer, Hannah Gutierrez, was jailed earlier this year for her role in Ms Hutchins‘ death, but the question of the live round – one of at least six, it was discovered by investigators – has still never officially been answered.
Baldwin did not speak to reporters outside court following the dismissal of his hugely high-profile case. As a household name for almost 40 years, he is more than used to having all eyes on him – but this was a very different kind of spotlight. In the courtroom, he was Alexander Rae Baldwin, not Alec Baldwin, Hollywood star.
The actor was first charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in 2023 – one requiring proof of underlying negligence, and a second requiring proof there was more than simple negligence, including a firearm enhancement that made the crime punishable by a mandatory five years in prison.
The second charge was dropped in February that year – and then in April, all the criminal charges against him were dropped.
Hilaria Baldwin has supported her husband in court. Pic: Ramsay de Give/Pool via AP
He was then charged again in January this year and the case went to trial, despite motions to dismiss before it began. There have also been lawsuits filed by various crew members and Ms Hutchins’ family.
But Baldwin, who is known for films including The Departed, It’s Complicated and The Hunt For Red October, as well as his performances on Saturday Night Live, has continued to work; he has a film out next week, Clear Cut, alongside Stephen Dorff, and plans for a reality TV show with his family in 2025. He shares seven young children with his wife Hilaria, who supported him in court.
Other upcoming films, according to movie database IMDb, include Atrabilious, alongside Leon Addison Brown, Whoopi Goldberg and Jeffrey Wright; Kid Santa, also starring his brother Billy Baldwin; and Hollywood Heist, with Nick Cannon, Mickey Rourke and Tara Reid.
And among the projects he has in the pipeline is Rust, the film at the centre of this case. In the movie, Baldwin stars as Harland Rust, an outlaw coming out of hiding to rescue his grandson – who has been sentenced to death over an accidental killing. It is not known when the film will be released.
Filming of the Western moved from New Mexico to Paradise Valley in Montana and restarted in April 2023, with Ms Hutchins’ husband Matthew listed as an executive producer and Joel Souza, who was wounded in the shooting, returning as director.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
“Though bittersweet, I am grateful that a brilliant and dedicated new production team is joining former cast and crew to complete what Halyna and I started,” Mr Souza said at the time.
“Following a tragic accident, our foremost priority has always been to complete this film as a tribute to Halyna Hutchins’ vision and artistry,” said Melina Spadone, attorney for Rust Movie Productions, following the dismissal of Baldwin’s case. “Working alongside Halyna’s husband, Matthew, we look forward to sharing this film with the world.”
Ms Hutchins, 42, was considered a rising star in her field, an experienced cinematographer and crew member with previous action film credits who was used to being on location, helping to bring stories to screen.
On 21 October 2021, she turned up to the Bonanza Creek Ranch in New Mexico for what should have been a normal day at work. She died after a live round was loaded into a gun on a film set that should only ever have seen blanks and dummy rounds.
Ms Hutchins’ family and loved ones now only have their memories.
For Baldwin, the criminal case has been dismissed and he can now start to put the proceedings behind him. But almost three years on from the tragedy, the question of how the live ammunition got to the set still remains.