Olga Solovey, the mother of slain cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, has refused to attend the premiere of Rust in Poland, accusing actor-producer Alec Baldwin of profiting off her dead daughter.
On October 21, 2021, while filming the western movie Rust, Alec Baldwin shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal. Baldwin claimed the revolver that he had been given from the AD suddenly fired when he pulled back the hammer, emphatically stating that he did not pull the trigger. Subsequent analysis of the firearm from the FBI later concluded that "the trigger had to be pulled or depressed sufficiently to release the fully cocked or retracted hammer of the evidence revolver."
Though Baldwin still faces a potential civil trial for his role Hutchins' death, the actor's criminal trial for involuntary manslaughter was dismissed this past summer after the judge ruled that the prosecution had withheld evidence. Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the film's armorer, has been serving an 18-month prison sentence for loading a live bullet in the gun that Baldwin fired.
After months of delay, the production for Rust continued as planned and will premiere Wednesday at the Camerimage Festival in Poland. Hutchins' mother, Olga Solovey, said she will not be there in a statement released through her attorney, Gloria Allred.
"It was always my hope to meet my daughter in Poland to watch her work come alive on screen," said Solovey, who lives with her family in Ukraine. "Unfortunately, that was ripped away from me when Alec Baldwin discharged his gun and killed my daughter. Alec Baldwin continues to increase my pain with his refusal to apologize to me and his refusal to take responsibility for her death. Instead, he seeks to unjustly profit from his killing of my daughter. That is the reason why I refuse to attend the festival for the promotion of 'Rust,' especially now when there is still no justice for my daughter."
Director Joel Souza, who was wounded by Baldwin during the shooting, will be attending the premiere and will participate in a panel discussion "along with Bianca Cline, the cinematographer who completed the film, and Stephen Lighthill, who mentored Hutchins at AFI," according to Variety.
Gloria Allred also lambasted the premiere, saying it exploits Halyna's death.
"Now, a decision has been made to promote 'Rust' to buyers in order to make a profit for Alec Baldwin and others that had a role in Halyna's death," Allred said. "Olga, Anatolii and Svetlana will not agree with this plan to exploit Halyna's death."