As Alec Baldwin faces trial in New Mexico next month in the October 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, he’s also dealing with the reality that he’s in dire financial straights.
According to a New York Times report on Baldwin’s trial, which starts July 8, the 66-year-old film and TV actor is struggling to support his controversial influencer wife Hilaria Baldwin and their seven young children, while also covering the mounting legal expenses associated with Hutchins’ death, which occurred when he was handling a gun that accidentally discharged on the set of the Western film “Rust.”
Among Baldwin’s many challenges, he’s late paying his portion of the multimillion-dollar civil settlement owed to Hutchins’ family for a wrongful death lawsuit her husband brought in 2022, according to the New York Times.
PARK CITY, UT – JANUARY 28: Halyna Hutchins attends the SAGindie Sundance Filmmakers Reception at Cafe Terigo on January 28, 2019 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Fred Hayes/Getty Images for SAGindie)
Baldwin was both the star of “Rust” and one of its producers. For reasons that remain a mystery, a revolver that Baldwin was using during a rehearsal held a live round. When the gun discharged, the round fatally injured Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza.
In his lawsuit, Hutchins’ husband, Matthew Hutchins, accused Baldwin, Rust Movie Productions and other producers of reckless conduct and cost-cutting measures that endangered the crew, including failing to follow basic industry standard safety checks and gun safety rules. Hutchins, Baldwin and the other producers subsequently reached a legal settlement, though the exact amount of the settlement remains confidential.
Matthew Hutchins’s lawyer, Brian Panish, told the Times that his client is still awaiting payment from Baldwin, leading them to consider different options. They include suing Baldwin for breach of agreement or resuming their original civil suit.
But as Baldwin potentially faces another costly lawsuit, and presumably needs to pay a high-priced team of criminal defense attorneys, he’s also dealing with the prospect of not being able to work at all for a while. If a jury finds him guilty of involuntary manslaughter, he could be sentenced to up to 18 months in prison.
US actor Alec Baldwin and his wife Hilaria Baldwin arrive for the PEN America Literary Gala at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City on May 18, 2023. This year’s gala, hosted by US comedian Colin Jost, is honoring Canadian writer and producer Lorne Michaels. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
Perhaps it’s no surprise then that Alec and Hilaria Baldwin recently announced that they and their seven young children will star in a reality TV show, to air on TLC, starting in 2025.
The news about the reality TV show is sure to help keep Baldwin in the center of the “media maelstrom” that has engulfed his public persona since Hutchins’ death. Baldwin’s many critics would say that the outspoken actor has brought much of the unwanted attention on himself, with his ill-advised attempts to …read more
Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment
