Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Alec Baldwin breaks silence over film set death: ‘She was my friend’

Baldwin says he is in ‘constant contact’ with Halyna Hutchins’ husband in first public comments after shooting

Bevan Hurley
Sunday 31 October 2021 09:45 EDT
Alec Baldwin breaks silence over Halyna Hutchins shooting

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 made his first comments in public since the fatal shooting on the set of Rust.

His voice hoarse and his face strained with grief, Baldwin told a reporter from BackGrid he had been gagged from speaking about the accidental shooting of Halyna Hutchins by the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department.

“She was my friend,” Baldwin said of Ms Hutchins, a 42-year-old married mother of one, who was killed at the Bonanza Creek Ranch on 14 October.

“There are incidental accidents on film sets from time to time, but nothing like this,” he said.

“This is a one in a trillion episode, a one in a trillion event.”

Baldwin agreed to speak briefly to a reporter on the side of the road in Vermont, as his wife Hilaria stood filming the impromptu encounter on her cellphone nearby.

Baldwin said he was limited in what he could say.

“I’m not allowed to make any comments because it’s an active investigation. A woman died. She was my friend, she was my friend,” he said.

“When I arrived in Sante Fe to start shooting, I took her to dinner.

“We were a very, very well-oiled crew shooting a film together when this horrible event happened.”

Mr Baldwin was a producer on Rust, as well as appearing as a gunfighter in the Western film, set in the 19th century.

When asked about growing calls to end the use of real firearms on film sets, Baldwin said he supported the move.

“I do know an ongoing effort to limit the use of firearms on a set is something I’m extremely interested in,” he said.

Baldwin said he was in “constant contact” with Ms Hutchins’ husband Matthew, and was “very worried” about her family.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in