Last Thursday, ALEC BALDWIN accidentally killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in New Mexico on the set of a Western movie called “Rust”, when a prop gun “misfired.” Director Joel Souza was also injured. The gun was supposedly safe, but clearly it was not. There are still a LOT of unanswered questions, but here are 10 updates from over the weekend.
1. Alec posted: “There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I’m in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew [her].”
2. Alec had breakfast with Halyna’s husband Matthew and their nine-year-old son Andros on Saturday morning in Santa Fe, New Mexico
3. Some photos made the rounds not long after it happened, of Alec after the shooting. He looks distraught.
4. Alec is canceling all his other upcoming projects.
5. Local authorities say that the assistant director Dave Halls handed the gun to Alec moments before the shooting and said, “Cold gun”, which means there are no cartridges . . . including blanks . . . inside the firearm. A “hot gun” indicates the weapon is loaded with cartridges, either live ammunition or blank rounds. However, it reportedly DID have live rounds in it . . . not just “blanks,” which are gunpowder charges that produce a flash and a bang but no projectile. It’s probably safe to assume that he also didn’t realize the gun was loaded. That said, the first assistant director is supposed to personally verify whether a weapon is “hot” or “cold.”
6. Investigators are going to want to talk with Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was the movie’s “armorer.” That’s the person who’s responsible for managing all the firearms used on a film set . . . ensuring the weapons are clean, correctly loaded, properly kept up, and safely handled. Prop gun experts said the armorer is usually ultimately responsible for the weapons on set.
7. The 911 calls from the shooting have been released.
8. It’s unclear exactly how everyone was positioned, but it sounds like they were rehearsing when the shot was fired. It’s possible that Alec’s character was aiming the gun toward the camera, where the cinematographer and director were.
9. Director Joel Souza is expected to make a full recovery . . . and he’s already been released from the hospital.
10. According to the “Los Angeles Times”, about half a dozen members of the camera crew on “Rust” had walked out hours before the tragedy after protesting over working conditions on the set. Some issues were about long hours and long commutes . . . but at least one person complained about gun safety on the set.
PAUL WALKER’s daughter Meadow got married recently, and her Godfather VIN DIESEL stepped up to walk her down the aisle. Paul and Vin were really close, so he’d probably be proud.
Actor PETER SCOLARI passed away on Friday at the age of 66. He died from leukemia, after being diagnosed two years ago. He was best known for his work on the shows “Bosom Buddies”, “Newhart”, and “Girls”. JAMES MICHAEL TYLER who played Gunther the Central Perk barista on “Friends” passed away yesterday. He lost his battle with cancer at age 59.
ED SHEERAN tested positive for COVID-19. He was announced to be the musical guest for “Saturday Night Live” on November 6th, but it’s unclear if he will be performing virtually or replaced if he isn’t better by then.
KANE BROWN fell off the stage during his concert in Memphis, Tennessee on Saturday. He was in a lot of pain, but continued the show. There are a few videos of it on the Internet. He was walking down the steps of a riser when he lost his balance and appeared to twist his ankle. Then he tumbled OFF the stage and INTO the arms of a security guard. The show came to a halt for a while. When Kane did come back to the stage, he had to be escorted around . . . until he sat down to do several stripped-down versions of his songs. There’s one clip of him crying while performing “Worship You”. After the show, he shared a video of his swollen ankle, and he joked that it “looks normal.” He did perform at last night’s show in Atlanta, Georgia. His next concert is November 4th in Washington, D.C.
There’s a Christmas movie coming out that was inspired by SCOTTY MCCREERY’s 2018 hit, “Five More Minutes”. It’s about a woman whose Christmas wish is answered unexpectedly after her late grandfather’s journal surfaces. Scotty’s not in it, but he does get Executive Producer credit. It debuts November 20th on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel.
JESSIE JAMES DECKER is hitting the road next year. “The Woman I’ve Become Tour” will kick off April 14th, in Detroit, Michigan and run into June. ADAM DOLEAC is the opener. Jessie’s tour page has all the dates.
The Mitchell Tenpenny & Friends charity concert at the Ryman Auditorium earlier this month raised over $32,000. Proceeds will benefit his 10PennyFund, which helps in the fight against cancer. Mitchell’s guests on the show included his girlfriend Meghan Patrick, plus Chris Young and Seaforth.
ROD STEWART and his son are scheduled to stand trial on charges they battered a security guard during a New Year’s Eve party nearly two years ago.
RYAN GOSLING is ready to make your “Barbie” dreams come true as the new Ken for the live-action movie
COLIN JOST broke SETH MEYERS’ “Weekend Update” hosting record on “Saturday Night Live”. He’s done 155 episodes so far.
Katy Perry is 37.
Chely Wright is 51.
Marion Ross is 93.
