Alec Baldwin shares posts disputing reports of unsafe conditions on "Rust" set
Nearly two weeks after the fatal shooting on the "Rust" movie set, Alec Baldwin shared posts from an apparent fellow crewmember that dispute reports of poor working conditions. Baldwin has spoken publicly just a handful of times since he fired a .45-caliber revolver that was believed to be safe during a rehearsal on October 21, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office.
Baldwin, who is starring in and co-producing the film, reposted several paragraphs written by Terese Magpale Davis, who appears to be a "Rust" crew member, in which she defended the production team.
"Read this," the 63-year-old actor captioned the first of seven Instagram posts, all of which were screenshots of Davis' own social media posts.
"I'm so sick of this narrative," Davis said, according to screenshots Baldwin shared. "I worked on this movie. The story being spun of us being overworked and surrounded by unsafe, chaotic conditions is bulls---."
Davis disputed several claims that other crew members have made to the media, including reports that the crew did not have proper lodging and that producers were skimping on safety procedures to save money.
"These are not studio producers who see us as walking dollar signs," she wrote. "They cared about us while we all worked together and they continue to care."
Davis reiterated her claims in a statement to CBS News on Wednesday. "Movie sets for me are like families, they are each beautiful experiences and Rust was a particularly tight set," she said. "Halyna was at the center of our family, the brightest light and to have 1 or 2 people destroy her beauty with ugly, false noise is compounding the hurt and making the grieving process that much harder. This is a time for people to come together to comfort one another."
New Mexico officials are continuing to investigate the shooting, and said charges have not yet been ruled out. In a press conference last week, officials said they recovered a "lead projectile" from Souza's shoulder, and said they found "possible additional live rounds on set."
Baldwin has called the event a "tragic accident," writing the day after the shooting that "There are no words to convey my shock and sadness."
"My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna," Baldwin added.
Court records show Baldwin had been told by assistant director Dave Halls that the gun was "cold." The armorer, who is responsible for guns on the set, "has no idea" how live rounds got onto the set, her attorneys said in a statement Friday.
Victoria Albert and Tori Powell contributed to this report.
