Quentin Tarantino has sparked controversy by stating that while Alec Baldwin isn’t solely responsible for Halyna Hutchins' death on the Rust set, he bears some blame.
via: People
In an interview with Bill Maher for the most recent episode of the latter's Club Random podcast, the 61-year-old director, who is no stranger to firearms on his film sets, was asked about the incident and subsequent trial dismissal.
"It's a situation, I think I'm being fair enough to say, that the armorer — the guy who handles the gun — is 90% responsible for everything that happens when it comes to that gun, but ... the actor's 10% responsible," Tarantino said. "It's a gun. You are a partner in the responsibility, to some degree."
Added the Pulp Fiction filmmaker during the interview, released Sunday, Aug, 25, "If there's steps to go through, you go through them, and it's done with due diligence. And you know it's f---in' for real."
An attorney for Baldwin, 66, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment, while a rep for the actor had no comment.
Baldwin was indicted by a New Mexico grand jury in January after the gun he was holding during an October 2021 rehearsal on the set of his Western movie discharged, killing 42-year-old Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
On the third day of Baldwin's trial in July, the actor'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, who has maintained that he did not pull the trigger of the gun or know why it contained live ammunition, would have faced 18 months in jail. Because Sommer dismissed the case with prejudice, the Beetlejuice actor cannot be charged again in connection to the shooting.
Armorer Hannah 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.
Following Judge Sommer’s decision on July 12, to dismiss with prejudice the case on its third day in Santa Fe’s 1st Judicial District Court of New Mexico, Baldwin expressed relief that the years-long legal drama was over in an Instagram post the next day.
"There are too many people who have supported me to thank just now," the actor-producer wrote alongside an image of himself in court.
Baldwin added, "To all of you, you will never know how much I appreciate your kindness toward my family."
On the horizon for Baldwin and his wife Hilaria is a TLC reality series called The Baldwins, announced in June, about their sprawling family.
The couple share seven children: Ilaria Catalina Irena, 23 months, María Lucía Victoria, 3, Eduardo "Edu" Pao Lucas, 3½, Romeo Alejandro David, 6, Leonardo Ángel Charles, 7½, Rafael Thomas, 9, and Carmen Gabriela, 11. Baldwin also shares daughter Ireland, 28, with ex-wife Kim Basinger.
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