'Rust' Lawsuit Settlement Finally Approved Over Six Months After Ruling for Halyna Hutchins' Family

The Rust lawsuit involving actor Alec Baldwin for the son of Halyna Hutchins has been settled by a judge. A gun that the actor was holding went off on the set of Rust in October 2021, killing the cinematographer. Matthew Hutchins, Hutchins' widow, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in February 2022. 

The parties involved in the October 2022 lawsuit included their minor son, who was also part of the suit. With the court's approval of the settlement, this means the family will be able to receive compensation. According to court documents obtained by The Blast, District Court Judge Bryan Biedscheid approved the settlement of the wrongful death lawsuit involving Baldwin and other Rust producers. The terms of the agreement will remain confidential. Records and approval hearings will be sealed to protect Hutchins' son's privacy. Before making his decision, Judge Biedscheid explained that the child's right to privacy was the main factor in his judgment, saying, "What is driving my decision is really the interests of the minor child. And that is one of the very most powerful reasons to seal a matter," according to the Associated Press.

Matthew Hutchins released a statement after the settlement was reached, saying, "We have reached a settlement, subject to court approval, for our wrongful death case against the producers of Rust, including Alec Baldwin and Rust Movie Productions, LLC. As part of that settlement, our case will be dismissed." He added, "I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin). All of us believe Halyna's death was a terrible accident. I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna's final work." 

For the death of Halyna Hutchins, Baldwin and an armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, were charged with involuntary manslaughter in January 2023. A pair of new prosecutors dismissed the actor's charges in late April after being introduced to the case weeks earlier. In late April, special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis said in a statement, "This decision does not absolve Mr. Baldwin of criminal culpability, and charges may be refiled. Our follow-up investigation will remain active and on-going."

Following Matthew Hutchins' lawsuit against Baldwin and the producers of Rust, Halyna's mother, Olga Solovey, her father, Anatolyi Androsovych, and sister, Svetlana Zemko, sued Baldwin, the producers of Rust, and a number of other companies and individuals in February of 2023, claiming negligence caused Halyna's death. Gloria Allred, representing the family, says her clients "remain hopeful" that Baldwin will face justice. Allred also represents Mamie Mitchell, the script supervisor for Rust, in her November 2021 lawsuit against Baldwin and other Rust producers. "Mr. Baldwin may pretend that he is not responsible for pulling the trigger and ejecting a live bullet which ended Halyna's life," said the attorney. "He can run to Montana and pretend that he is just an actor in a wild west movie but, in real life, he cannot escape from the fact that he had a major role in a tragedy which had real-life consequences."