Entertainment

Alec Baldwin doesn't feel guilt over the 'Rust' shooting: 'If I felt that I was responsible, I might have killed myself'

Alec Baldwin in a black jacket
Alec Baldwin speaking to ABC News about the "Rust" shooting. ABC News
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Alec Baldwin told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos in his first sit-down interview on Thursday night that he doesn't feel guilty about the accidental shooting that happened on the set of his movie "Rust" that led to the death of its cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and the injury of the film's director Joel Souza.

"Someone is responsible for what happened, and I can't say who that is, but I know it's not me," Baldwin told Stephanopoulos.

On October 21, a gun held by Baldwin discharged while he was rehearsing a scene of the Western film, killing Hutchins and injuring Souza.

Baldwin told Stephanopoulos that he never pulled the trigger of the gun; he only pulled back the hammer of the gun — by the direction of Hutchins — and when he let go of the hammer, the gun went off.

A picture of Halyna Hutchins on the set of "Rust."
The "Rust" set on the day of the shooting. Halyna Hutchins stands next to the camera in a beanie and headphones.  Serge Svetnoy/Facebook

"Honest to God, if I felt that I was responsible, I might have killed myself if I thought I was responsible," Baldwin said. "I don't say that lightly."

Though not feeling any guilt, Baldwin said he's still haunted by the event.

"I have dreams about this constantly now," he said. "I wake up constantly where guns are going off, these images have come into my mind, kept me awake at night and I haven't slept for weeks. I've really been struggling physically. I'm exhausted."

Since the shooting Baldwin has pulled out of the movie he was supposed to make after "Rust" and has spent his time with his family. He said if he ever did act again, he would never do one that had guns in it.

"My family is all I have. Honest to god, I couldn't give a shit about my career anymore," he told Stephanopoulos.

The investigation into Hutchins' death is ongoing. No one has yet been charged in connection with the incident.

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Jason Guerrasio
Jason Guerrasio
Jason Guerrasio is an award-winning entertainment correspondent at Business Insider and has covered various aspects of the film industry for over two decades. On the site, his reporting can range from what's going on behind the scenes at some of the biggest companies in Hollywood, colorful interviews with some of the most well-known names in entertainment, and exploring the darker side of the industry.In 2020, Jason received the New York Press Club award and Los Angeles Press Club award for his story on the rise and fall of MoviePass. It has since been made into the Emmy-nominated HBO documentary "MoviePass, MovieCrash."Previous to BI, Jason was the managing editor at Filmmaker Magazine, one of the leading publications in the independent film industry. He's also written for numerous publications over the years, including Vanity Fair, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Vulture, Variety, and indieWire.Popular ArticlesMary Carole McDonnell built a true-crime empire. Then the FBI came for her. Growing up Marvel: The tormented life of Stan Lee's child, JC LeeA bullet. A legend. A lie. Bufford Pusser killed his wife, authorities say. What happens to his legacy now?