Hollywood Union Defends Alec Baldwin's Gun Handling
Hollywood Union Defends Alec Baldwin's Gun Handling
'Rust' victim's lawyer says SAG-AFTRA is wrong that actors don’t have to follow basic firearms safety rules on movie sets
The major Hollywood union SAG-AFTRA came out in defense of Alec Baldwin after he was indicted for involuntary manslaughter for shooting and killing his cinematographer on the “Rust” movie set. The union claims that actors have special privileges exempting them from basic gun safety rules.
A lawyer for the victim's family, Gloria Allred, disputes the union's stance, asserting that the jury will ultimately determine responsibility.
Union Rules
SAG-AFTRA, which represents actors, issued a lengthy statement (read it here) to defend performers and place blame on the crew.
“An actor’s job is not to be a firearms or weapons expert.” SAG-AFTRA wrote. “Firearms are provided for use on set under the guidance of multiple expert professionals directly responsible for the safe and accurate operation of that firearm.”
The statement referenced an industry-wide safety bulletin with guidelines “that do not make it the performer’s responsibility to check any firearm.” This clearly references the real bullet or “live round” that Baldwin didn’t know was in his revolver.
Victim’s Voice
Famed lawyer Gloria Allred represents Hutchins’s parents and sister in a civil suit against Baldwin. She emailed me in response to the SAG-AFTRA statement.
“The notion that an actor is not responsible if that actor holds a gun, points it at someone on a movie set, and discharges the weapon flies in the face of common sense and the law,” said Allred. (Her full statement is at the bottom for paid subscribers.)
“Safety protocols may be considered at trial, but they are not the law. This indictment was the result of a careful assessment by the grand jury of all the facts and the law.”
Baldwin has been called to a New Mexico court on Feb. 1. He will likely do it virtually (link is below) and give a plea of not guilty. His lawyers are asking for a “speedy trial.”
Hollywood gun policy
The industry’s safety bulletin from 2009 is much more explicit about the gun rules than the new SAG-AFTRA statement.
As Allred pointed out, the union defense of Baldwin only refers to actors supposedly not being responsible for checking to see if a gun is loaded. It does not address the other gun safety rules that Baldwin broke.
The safety bulletin says “NEVER place your finger on the trigger until you're ready to shoot.” Baldwin denies putting his finger on the trigger or pulling it, but FBI forensics proved he did.
The bulletin also says to “refrain from pointing a firearm at anyone, including yourself.” It explains that it if is “absolutely necessary” on camera to do so, the actor should consult with the safety crew. It says, “Remember that any object at which you point a firearm could be destroyed.”
Baldwin said in 2021 that he knew not to point a gun at someone. He said that he pointed it at Hutchins because she told him to do it (ie he blamed the victim.)
To refresh your memory of Baldwin’s litany of excuses in an ABC interview after the shooting, this was my story about the top 10 excuses:
I made this graphic of his quotes from the interview. We can assume these excuses will be used by both sides at trial:
Real Bullets on Set
Baldwin stated that he did not check for live rounds, assuming the movie's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, loaded only blanks.
Even after multiple investigations, no one yet knows how the real ammunition got on the set. Reed said she loaded the gun before handing it off to the assistant director.
Although the safety bulletin does not tell the actors to check what’s loaded in their firearm, it requires a safety meeting before the scenes. According to Reed, Baldwin was distracted on the phone with his family during her abbreviated training session with him. Reed asked her boss for more time to train Baldwin and was refused.
(Baldwin was also a producer on this film, but it’s not clear if that factored into the grand jury’s decision to indict him.)
While Baldwin may point to these Hollywood safety protocols as his defense for not checking if the gun was loaded with real ammo, back when this happened, movie star George Clooney said he always checks his own guns before firing. So,