Much of Hollywood has been shaken by the death of Halyna Hutchins this past Thursday. The cinematographer, who was working on the film Rust at the time, was killed after Alec Baldwin fired what was believed to have been a prop gun. The prop reportedly contained a single live round. Following her death, authorities have been trying to ascertain the specifics of the situation, while officials associated with the production have released statements. Now, Hutchins’ father has spoken out on the matter.
When speaking on the death of his 42-year-old daughter, Anatoly Androsovych addressed the current state of his family. He specifically mentioned his 9-year-old grandson, Andros:
We still can’t believe Halyna is dead and her mother is going out of her mind with grief. … The little boy has been very badly affected — he is lost without his mother.
In the aftermath of the incident, one of the biggest topics of discussion appears to be revolving around who is responsible. Anatoly Androsovych also told The Sun that he does not believe this should fall into Alec Baldwin’s hands:
But I don’t hold Alec Baldwin responsible — it is the responsibility of the props people who handle the guns.
The 63-year-old actor released a personal statement on the situation, expressing his “shock and sadness” over what had transpired. He also confirmed that he is “fully cooperating” with the police investigation and has been in contact with Halyna Hutchins’ husband, Matthew, and the couple’s son. Hutchins’ father further confirmed the latter point while making his own statement.
Anatoly Androsovych also mentioned that he’s attempting to fly his wife, Olga, and daughter, Svetlana, out to the US to be with the late cinematographer’s family. Svetlana previously spoke out on the incident, questioning how “this negligence allowed by such a team of professionals.”
The death of Halyna Hutchins has sparked a greater conversation regarding safety on film and television sets. A number of people across the entertainment industry have since chimed in on the matter, asking for change. The family of the late Brandon Lee, who was fatally injured by a prop gun on the set of The Crow, were among those to weigh in. The family sent its condolences to Hutchins’ while also stating that “no one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set.” Since the accident, some change seems to be taking shape, as evidenced by ABC’s decision to ban live weapons for Season 4 of The Rookie.
At this point in time, it’s unclear as to how long the police investigation into the situation will take. As for the filmmaker’s family, Anatoly Androsovych stated that his daughter’s husband will ultimately decide whether or not legal action should be taken. CinemaBlend will continue to provide updates on this story as they become available.
