Alec Baldwin faces accusations of 'Rust' set footage leak
Alec Baldwin, the renowned actor, is under scrutiny for allegedly leaking footage from his film Rust to the media. The supposed leak is believed to have been a strategic move to sway the results of his grand jury hearing in November 2023. The hearing pertained to a tragic shooting incident on set involving cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, where a firearm handled by Baldwin was unexpectedly fired.
NBC News received set footage on eve of hearing
As per new unsealed legal documents, a video from the set was shared with NBC News on the eve of the scheduled grand jury assembly. In the footage, Baldwin is audibly directing crew members to clear the gun's trajectory. The video was reportedly recorded before Hutchins was tragically shot on October 21, 2021. The film's director, Joel Souza, was also injured during the incident.
Prosecutors claim Baldwin attempted to influence jury
Special prosecutors from New Mexico, Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis, have suggested that Baldwin might have "distributed selectively chosen videos to NBC News to garner sympathy for the accused." They proposed that the video was disseminated via a third party. The documents indicated that "the videos were made public to national media on the brink of the grand jury proceeding in an attempt to bias the grand jurors and interfere with the grand jury process."
Baldwin's previous media engagement raised questions
Morrissey and Lewis also insinuated that the journalist who first reported the story on NBC News had prior professional ties to CNN and had interviewed Baldwin and his lawyer in August 2022. This gave Baldwin an opportunity to publicly present his defense. Prosecutors expressed apprehension that any recordings related to grand jury proceedings could potentially compromise this process.
'Rust' armorer has appealed for release and retrial
Meanwhile, lawyers for Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, have petitioned for her release from jail and a retrial. Gutierrez-Reed could face up to 18 months in prison for her negligent act of loading a live round into Baldwin's firearm, which resulted in Hutchins's death. She is awaiting sentencing on April 15.
