In a legal complaint filed in the United States, the Ukraine-based relatives of a deceased cinematographer are seeking reparations for her death from actor Alec Baldwin in connection with the fatal shooting on a Western film set.
Thursday, the parents of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and her younger sister filed a new complaint against Baldwin in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. In Ukraine, on the outskirts of the capital of Kyiv, she works as a nurse. At the same time, her Ukrainian husband fights with the country's army against the Russian forces that invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
In October 2021, Hutchins died shortly after being wounded at a rehearsal for the film Rust, held at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Baldwin was pointing a gun at Hutchins when it discharged, fatally wounding Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
Based on the emotional or financial support Hutchins offered to her younger sister Svetlana Zemko and parents Olga Solovey and Anatolii Androsovych, the case accuses carelessness and denial of benefits.
The lawsuit also names many Rust crew members, a munitions supplier, the film's producers, and affiliated businesses as defendants.
Baldwin and Rust's weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed both face criminal manslaughter charges in a New Mexico district court. Later this month, they are slated to make their initial court appearance through remote access at a hearing where pleas may be entered.
Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed have stated that they will contest the allegations, whereas an assistant director has consented to plead guilty to lesser counts.
Gloria Allred, a Santa Monica, California-based attorney, portrayed Zemko as a working emergency department nurse raising an infant and a child aged four as her husband fights for Ukraine in the war against Russia.
Allred stated at a press conference that Zemko "had a very close and loving relationship with her older sister, Halyna, and she feels strongly that those responsible for her death must be held accountable."
Baldwin's attorneys were not immediately reachable for comment.
Late last year, Matthew Hutchins, the widower of Halyna Hutchins, secured an undisclosed settlement with Baldwin and other Rust producers. A portion of the deal stipulates that Matthew will serve as a producer on Rust if and when production resumes.
Baldwin has sued those handling and supplying the loaded rifle to clear his identity. Also, a co-producer of Rust, Baldwin, stated that he was informed the firearm was secure.
Baldwin alleged in his claim that, while working with Hutchins on camera angles, he pointed the gun in her direction, pulled back, and released the weapon's hammer, causing it to fire.
Despite being filed in California, the latest action against Baldwin relies on New Mexico state law governing deprivation of benefits, sometimes known as "loss of consortium."
