Alec Baldwin Shares Letter From Rust Crew Hitting Back At 'False' Claims Set Was 'Chaotic, Dangerous, & Exploitative'

Alec Baldwin is getting more support in the aftermath of the tragic Rust shooting — this time, from the crew of Rust themselves.

The embattled star took to Instagram on Thursday to share a public note from the crew of the film that was written to clarify what they say is an inaccurate public narrative about the set’s chaotic environment in the days leading up to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

While the crew didn’t comment on Baldwin’s involvement in the accidental on-set shooting, they expressed that they “believe the public narrative surrounding our workplace tragedy to be inadequate and wish to express a more accurate account of our experience.”

The note — signed by 25 crew members from Accounting, Assistant Directors, Casting, Camera, Art, Props, Special Effects, Electrics, Grips, Costumes, Hair, Makeup, Sound, Locations, Medics, Animal Wranglers, Health and Safety, Transportation, Craft Services, Catering, Stunts, Construction and Production departments — began:

“This letter is written on behalf of the cast and crew of the film production, Rust. It has not been sanctioned or influenced in any way by the producers… The descriptions of Rust as a chaotic, dangerous and exploitative workplace are false and distract from what matters the most: the memory of (DP) Halyna Hutchins, and the need to find modern alternatives to outdated industry firearm and safety practices.”

As you likely know, Hutchins was killed when a gun Baldwin was holding discharged. The actor insisted he “didn’t pull the trigger,” adding fuel to the narrative that the set was riddled with safety concerns.

However, the letter hit back at that narrative, and addressed reports of some crew members walking off set over safety concerns just hours before the tragedy. It continued:

“Unfortunately, in the film industry, it is common to work on unprofessional or hectic productions to gain experience and credits. Many of us have worked on those types of productions. Rust was not one of them. Rust was professional. We do acknowledge that no set is perfect, and like any production, Rust had areas of brilliance and areas that were more challenging. While we stand firmly with our unions and strongly support the fight for better working conditions across our industry, we do not feel that this set was a representation of the kind of conditions our unions are fighting against.”

The letter went on to praise the movie’s late cinematographer, adding:

“Halyna’s work ethic was inspiring and we were working to our highest ability to support her vision. The days were scheduled tightly, but appropriately. We were keeping pace, not falling behind…in the meantime, we are supporting each other and cooperating with investigators. We kindly request that your speculation and generalizations about us and our colleagues be sympathetic until an investigation is concluded. We are grateful to our many friends and family that have reached out to us privately to offer compassion and support.”

The letter comes after producers on the film, including Baldwin, were named in multiple lawsuits. Read it in full (below):