Alec Baldwin Doubles Down on Claims He's Not Responsible for Fatal 'Rust' Shooting

Alec Baldwin is doubling down on his assertion that he is not responsible for the fatal of Halyna Hutchins on the Rust set. Deadline reports that Baldwin has filed legal documents in an attempt to protect himself, asserting that he is not to blame and that Hutchins' husband is trying to capitalize on her death for a payout. "This is a rare instance when the system broke down, and someone should be held legally culpable for the tragic consequences," reads the legal documents Baldwin's lawyer Luke Nikas filed against lead producer Ryan Smith and Rust Move Productions LLC on Friday. "That person is not Alec Baldwin."

Baldwin wants a provision in his contract that could indemnify him in all current and future lawsuits and see that his legal bills are paid. Baldwin also wants to complete the production on Rust in part to pay off the settlement to Hutchins' family.

"At this point, two things are clear: someone is culpable for chambering the live round that led to this horrific tragedy, and it is someone other than Baldwin. Baldwin is an actor," the document continued. "He didn't announce that the gun was 'cold' when it really contained a live round; he didn't load the gun; he didn't check the bullets in the gun; he didn't purchase the bullets; he didn't make the bullets and represent that they were dummies; he wasn't in charge of firearm safety on the set; he didn't hire the people who supplied the bullets or checked the gun; and he played no role in managing the movie's props. Each of those jobs was performed by someone else."

The shooting that occurred last year is still being investigated by the Santa Fe police. "As he had done throughout his career, Baldwin trusted the other professionals on the set to do their jobs," the document explained. "Until October 21, Baldwin had never been involved in a breach of safety on the set of any movie or film, and he has safely handled firearms and other weapons without incident in at least a dozen films and television projects, including The Hunt For Red October, Miami Blues, The Getaway, The Shadow, Heaven's Prisoners, The Juror, The Edge, Thick as Thieves, and Mission Impossible: Fallout."

Baldwin also used the filing to attack Matt Hutchins, claiming that "before Hutchins's appearance on the Today show, his interactions with Baldwin had only been polite, collaborative, and, at times, even warm." Baldwin claimed that he and Hutchins had previously discussed a financial settlement with the family, but negotiations quickly broke down. "During the first phone call, Hutchins told Baldwin that the proposed settlement sounded 'interesting,'" claimed the document. "He did not accept or reject the settlement, but told Baldwin that he would need to think it over after reviewing additional details. On the second phone call, Baldwin recalls, Hutchins sounded less open-minded." Hutchins recently filed a wrongful death suit against Baldwin and others involved with Rust's production.