“Rust” Director Shot by Alec Baldwin Says ‘I Don’t Know’ If Justice Was Served After Actor’s Case Was Dismissed
Souza also told 'Vanity Fair' in a new interview that he and Baldwin have “no relationship” whatsoever: “We’re not friends. We’re not enemies”
Rust director Joel Souza says he’s not sure if justice was served after armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and Alec Baldwin’s charge was dismissed: “I don’t know,” he told Vanity Fair in a new interview.
Baldwin was holding a prop gun on the New Mexico set of the Western movie in 2021 when it discharged, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring Souza, who was struck in the shoulder.
The 66-year-old actor has long insisted he did not pull the trigger or know why the gun accidentally contained live ammunition, but a grand jury indicted him on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in January.
In a dramatic twist on the third day of Baldwin's trial in July, the star's lawyers claimed prosecutors had withheld evidence and asked the judge in the case, Mary Marlowe Sommer, to dismiss the charge. Sommer agreed to the defense's request, and issued a stinging rebuke of the prosecutors in the case.
If convicted, Baldwin would have faced 18 months in jail. Because Sommer dismissed the case with prejudice, Baldwin cannot be charged again in connection to the shooting.
Ramsay de Give-Pool/Getty
Alec Baldwin in court on July 11.Gutierrez-Reed was convicted at trial in March and is currently serving an 18-month sentence, which she is appealing. In 2023, assistant director Dave Halls, took a plea deal for negligent use of a deadly weapon.
Asked by the Vanity Fair if “justice was done,” Souza demurred.
“I don’t know, and I don’t know what that even is anymore — I’ll be very honest with you about that,” he said. “No one feels good about someone going to jail. If you feel good about that, take a hard look in the mirror.”
Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office/ZUMA Press Wire Service/Shutterstock
Alec Baldwin on the set of 'Rust.'In the wide-ranging interview, Souza also recalled the moments right before he was struck by the bullet. They were rehearsing a scene in which Baldwin’s character is in a church and points the gun towards the camera. Souza stood behind Hutchins to see how the scene would look.
“I kept wanting to try to look over her right shoulder, to see that little monitor down below. To see what the angle looked like. But I couldn’t see over her. I got in behind her. When I tried to get a look, that’s when the gun fired. And then…yeah, all hell broke loose,” he said.
“It felt like a horse kicked me in the shoulder or someone hit me with a bat,” he continued. “The whole right side of my body went numb, completely numb, but it also hurt excruciatingly at the same time, if that makes sense.
“It’s bizarre to have been shot,” Souza added. “And then, who was holding the gun? That’s bizarre. I had this weird thought, like, God, I remember watching The Hunt for Red October in the movie theater when I was a kid. It’s like your older self whispers to your younger self, ‘Hey, that guy…someday…’”
Souza was good friends with Hutchins, and said he initially hoped he would succumb to his injuries, too. The morning after he was shot, he was in disbelief.
Related: Alec Baldwin Speaks Out Following Rust Shooting Case Dismissal: 'I Appreciate Your Kindness'
“I had hoped it was a bad dream. It was just the beginning of the aftermath, and the beginning of a lot of grief for everybody. I was trying to pick up the pieces, such as they can be picked up,” he said.
In 2023, Souza eventually finished making the movie with Baldwin, filming the remainder in Montana. It’s an experience Souza called “tough,” adding. “We got through it. I got the performance I wanted. We’re not friends. We’re not enemies. There’s no relationship.”
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