Halyna Hutchins' Husband Speaks Out After Her Death on 'Rust' Set

Halyna Hutchins' husband Matthew Hutchins has broken his silence just a day after the cinematographer was killed in an accident on the set of Rust. The 42-year-old was shot and killed when actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun in an incident that also injured Joel Souza, the film's director. Hutchins was airlifted to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where she died from her injuries.

Speaking to Insider about the tragic incident, Matthew, who shares an 8-year-old son with Hutchins, said that he had no "words to communicate the situation" and that he is "not going to be able to comment about the facts or the process of what we're going through right now." Matthew added that he appreciates "that everyone has been very sympathetic." He concluded, "I think that we will need a little bit of time before we can really encapsulate her life in a way that is easy to communicate."

Originally from Ukraine, Hutchins worked as an investigative journalist with British documentary productions in Europe before moving into film. She graduated from AFI in 2015 and was named one of American Cinematographers' Rising Stars of 2019. Throughout her career, Hutchins filmed several shorts and was recently the cinematographer on Joe Manganiello's movie Archenemy before she was attached to Rust as a cinematographer.

The 42-year-old was killed in a tragic accident at Bonanza Creek Ranch, near the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico, where Rust is filming, Thursday afternoon. Details remain unclear, though it has been confirmed that Baldwin discharged a prop gun. At this time, the projectile involved in the shooting remains unclear. An email from International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 44 claimed the prop gun contained "a live round," though that report contradicts previous statements claiming the gun contained blanks. Production on the movie has been halted.

Baldwin, who has been cooperating with authorities amid the ongoing investigation into the accident, said in a statement Friday morning that said his "heart is broken." He added that "there are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life" of Hutchins, "a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours."

In the wake of the incident, directors, actors and others in the film industry have paid tribute to Hutchins on social media. In a tweet, the AFI Conservatory said "words alone cannot capture the loss of one so dear to the AFI community," adding that, "we pledge to see that Halyna Hutchins will live on in the spirit of all who strive to see their dreams realized in stories well told." Director James Gunn wrote, "my heart goes out to all of those affected by the tragedy today on Rust, especially Halyna Hutchins & her family."

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