Alec Baldwin Reportedly Struggling With ‘Stressful’ ‘Rust’ Trial

Actor Alec Baldwin is reportedly having a hard time navigating the upcoming “Rust” trial.

Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. She was sentenced to the maximum sentence of 18 months behind bars.

On October 21, 2021, a gun that actor Alec Baldwin was holding went off, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and hospitalizing director Joel Souza, who was standing behind her when the gun went off.

The incident, which occurred inside a church in Santa Fe, New Mexico, drew national media attention. In January 2023, both Alec Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed were charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.

In April 2023, the charges against Baldwin were dropped without prejudice pending further investigation. However, after an FBI report concluded that the gun could not have gone off without the trigger being pulled, the charges were refiled in January 2024. Alec Baldwin had pleaded not guilty.

One insider close to the Baldwin family alleges that the “30 Rock” actor wants the situation to be done and over with. “It continues to be a very stressful situation for Alec and Hilaria. A not guilty verdict for Hannah would have caused less stress,” a source told People magazine. “He still trusts his defense, though. They just want the trial over with.”

Jury members deliberated for less than three hours before returning a verdict of guilty in the case of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. Throughout the trial, footage of weapons negligence could be seen on set. In one photograph, the armorer could be seen standing with the barrel of a gun pointed toward her own head while prosecutors argued that her “unprofessionalism” on set “significantly contributed” to the death of Halyna Hutchins.

The situation is not just frustrating for the 65-year-old actor. His legal trouble continues to be a source of stress for his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, 40, with whom the actor shares seven children ranging in age from one to ten. In January, a source told People magazine that both the actor and his wife found it “frustrating” to face charges again after they had been dropped last year.

“It’s frustrating for them both that Alec is being recharged. They knew there was a possibility there would be a new indictment. The back and forth is hard,” the insider said at the time.

When speaking about the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins in a 2022 interview with Extra, Hilaria said, “We’re not okay. We can’t be okay. No one’s okay. It was and is a tragedy that nobody could ever have imagined.”

Halyna’s parents and sister are being represented by attorney Gloria Allred, who is also representing “Rust” script supervisor Mamie Mitchell in a separate lawsuit. Following Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s guilty verdict, family attorneys Gloria Allred and John Carpenter released a joint statement.

“Halyna’s parents and her sister have always wanted everyone who is responsible for Halyna’s death to be held accountable,” the statement read. “Today was the first trial and conviction in the criminal justice process. We are satisfied that the jury, based on the evidence, found Hannah Gutierrez-Reed guilty beyond a reasonable doubt for her part in the taking of Halyna’s life.”

“We look forward to the justice system continuing to make sure that everyone else who is responsible for Halyna’s death is required to face the legal consequences for their actions,” the attorneys added.

According to reports released prior to her sentencing, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was having a difficult time navigating life behind bars. She was given the state maximum sentence of 18 months after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. She was acquitted on a lesser charge of tampering with evidence after a witness claimed that she tried to pass off a bag of what was believed to be cocaine. However, the witness subsequently threw out the bag in 2021 and the substance was never tested.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s attorney, Jason Bowles, told TMZ that she was trying to make the best of her stay at the Santa Fe County Adult Detention Facility before her sentencing hearing, although she was struggling. Phone calls played during her sentencing hearing featured her calling the jurors “idiots” during phone calls recorded during her stay, which did little to earn her sympathy with the judge, who will also preside over Baldwin’s trial as well.

Alec Baldwin’s “Rust” criminal trial is scheduled to begin on July 9, 2024.