Alec Baldwin Rust Movie Shooting Cinematographer Interviewing Husband – The Hollywood Reporter

The husband of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was shot and killed on the set of Alec Baldwin Rustis opening up about his memories of his late wife and the moment when he told their son that his mother had passed away.

Matt Hutchins said he first learned that Hutchins had been shot from a member of the film’s production team.

“My heart sank right away, I just couldn’t quite explain that it could have happened at the time,” he told NBC News’ Hoda Kotb in a taped interview that aired on Monday. Thursday. Today only.

The incident took place on set on October 21 when Baldwin discharged a prop gun that had a live bullet in it. Halyna Hutchins was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Director Joel Souza, who was looking over the cameraman’s shoulder, was injured in the shooting.

At first, Hutchins thought he needed to be with his son and they had to go to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where the movie was being filmed. He was later told by a doctor that his wife had died. While “heartbroken” at the news, he knew he needed to tell their son.

“I just have to be very frank and blunt, because going to pick him up and go to the airport and go to Santa Fe, I don’t want him to think we’re going to see her and have fun together and get his. Hutchins recalled. “I told him, sitting together, that his mother had been shot and died. And of course he didn’t believe it right away. He doesn’t want to believe it.”

Hutchins went on to say that he has to repeat the news to 9-year-old Andros “as many times as it takes for it to be believed.”

“And so he believed it, and we cried together afterwards. Every holiday, Christmas, New Year, our anniversary, my birthday, Valentine’s Day, every holiday is difficult without her, for me and Andros. ”

Hutchins also told of the “magical” moment when he met his wife and decided to propose to her just three months after they met, traveling 2,000 miles to see her.

“I like to trust my intuition in matters of the heart,” he said, adding that she thought it was “too fast” and that he “had to convince her.”

And he recalls how his wife called every night from the set of Rust to talk to her son and wish him good night.

“I think it helped him sleep every night knowing that she was thinking about him,” he said. “We definitely look forward to her coming home and staying there with us in our new home.”

Hutchins also talked about meeting Baldwin shortly after the shooting.

“I feel like to understand that moment, you have to remember the shock we went through and I talked to Mr. Baldwin and was just figuring out how to weather the storm,” Hutchins said. When Kotb asked if Baldwin was “distraught,” Hutchins said, “There’s definitely a lot of emotion for both sides.”

In a pre-released clip Today broadcast, Hutchins, whose family has filed a false claim over what happened to his wife, expressed anger at Baldwin’s recent interview for which Baldwin blamed and said he doesn’t seem to “take any responsibility.”

“Sounds like he was the victim,” Hutchins said. “And when I heard him blame Halyna in the interview and shift the blame to someone else and watch him cry about it, I just felt like, ‘We really must feel bad. about you, Mr. Baldwin?’

He added, “The idea that the gunman responsible for the shooting was not responsible to me is absurd. Every individual who touches a gun is responsible for gun safety, but gun safety is not the only issue in that context. There are a number of industry standards that are not practiced and have multiple responsible parties. “

Last week, it was announced that Halyna Hutchins’ family had falsely filed a lawsuit against Baldwin and “others responsible for safety on set and her reckless conduct that led to” senseless and tragic death. carpet” of her.

When asked in Today “We’re pursuing justice in every way possible with the lawsuit, seeking to hold accountable those responsible for Halyna’s death, which is completely preventable,” Hutchins said. In the end, justice won’t bring Halyna back, but perhaps her memory can help keep everyone safe and prevent something like this from happening again.”