Alec Baldwin Is Hoping To Shift the 'Rust' Trial Focus to Someone Else

Alec Baldwin has a big summer ahead of him. In addition to his newly announced reality show for TLC, the 66-year-old actor has an involuntary manslaughter trial from the 2021 shooting accident on the set of Rust, which killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza.

Now, a new twist in the case puts the focus back on armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in March and is serving 18 months in prison. According to People, New Mexico prosecutors filed a motion on Monday, June 3 to force her testimony in Baldwin’s case. She previously asserted her Fifth Amendment privilege during the pretrial stage, so this would squarely put her back in the hot seat.

Gutierrez-Reed was the crew member who put the live round into the prop gun accidentally, but it was Baldwin who was holding the gun at the time. If convicted, the 30 Rock star would also face 18 months in prison, which is likely why he filmed a reality show with wife Hilaria Baldwin, and their seven children. It likely brought in some much-needed funds if he winds up with prison time. Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyers have already filed an appeal, and prosecutors are hoping that her testimony will help their Baldwin case. On the flip side, his team wants to use her police interviews from the day of the accident instead.

“In her interviews, she’s very clear saying she should have checked [the gun] better,” legal expert Emily D. Baker told the media outlet. “Those types of statements where she’s accepting responsibility” would be beneficial to Baldwin’s case. That’s why he has her on his witness list. Baker added, “She would be able to plead the Fifth, is then unavailable, and then he can use some of the clips.” The prosecutors want Gutierrez-Reed to testify in person because “Ms. Gutierrez would testify that Mr. Baldwin was inattentive during the firearms training session she conducted with him” and “would become upset and have emotional fits,” per the legal documents.

His trial begins July 9, but his reality show won’t hit TLC until 2025 — so a lot of things could change between now and then. Baldwin hopes the case works out in his favor, but the prosecutors are trying to hold him accountable for the on-set accident.

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