Alec Baldwin Warned Not To 'Push It' After Filing His Own 'Rust' Lawsuit

Actor Alec Baldwin is suing Santa Fe officials after facing the possibility of jail time for years.

In October 2021, a gun he was holding on the set of "Rust" went off, hospitalizing director Joel Souza and fatally wounding cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

He was formally charged with involuntary manslaughter in January 2023. Those charges were dropped in April and then filed again in January 2024. However, the charges were dropped with prejudice after Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer concluded that prosecutors had withheld evidence from the defense.

Alec Baldwin Sues Over Malicious Prosecution and Civil Rights Violations

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On Thursday, the "30 Rock" actor filed his own lawsuit against Santa Fe officials, notably Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies and special prosecutor Kari Morrissey, alleging malicious prosecution and civil rights violations.

The actor is seeking unspecified damages due to claims of defamation and a host of other charges. In the documents, Baldwin's lawyers say that the actor was used as a "scapegoat" in the case, as law enforcement officials have never been able to determine how live ammunition ended up on the set of a Western film.

Alec Baldwin Faces Criticism Over His Decision To Sue

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On Friday morning, the "Beetlejuice" actor took to Instagram to share a screenshot from an article announcing his decision to sue Santa Fe officials over his "Rust" charges. "This..." he wrote in the caption.

Although some were supportive, many encouraged the father-of-eight to move on and let it go.

"Don't push it, man. Just be glad it's over," one fan commented.

"Just let it go, Alec!" another follower urged.

"I would've thought that this would've been a mess that you would've been happy to be rid of by now. Waste of resources and waste of your time and will prove nothing. Good luck," a third user added.

Some Feel Alec Baldwin's Lawsuit Is Valid

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Other fans of the "Saturday Night Live" alum felt that the actor was well within his rights to sue, given the legal drama that he has experienced over the past few years.

"I'm glad you're doing this. Rooting for you, Alec. What a traumatic and life-altering experience," one fan commented.

"Good for you! Unadulterated harassment and capitalizing on a tragedy. Sending love!" another follower exclaimed.

"I am glad you are fighting back. It was so unfair that they went after you," a third fan chimed in.

Fans Think 'Rust' Prosecutor Had Ulterior Motives

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Other fans questioned the integrity of special prosecutor Kari Morrissey. In a shocking twist, she herself took the stand on the third day of Baldwin's trial and admitted that she knew about the buried evidence - live ammunition that had been turned over after the trial of "Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed - and never disclosed it to the defense.

To make matters worse for the actor, she tried to get the charges reinstated even after the judge had dismissed them with prejudice. It wasn't until the week before Christmas that she withdrew the State's notice of appeal, allowing the case to officially come to a close.

In the comments of his Instagram post, one fan wrote, "Good. It was WAY overcharged by a DA looking to become a Fox News regular."

"And this happens to many people," another follower pointed out. "They throw a bunch of charges at people to see what sticks. The difference is most people aren't able to fight it."

"I think the DA was trying to make a name for herself and score one for her department," a third user chimed in.

Baldwin Reveals 'Another Phase' Is Coming

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In December 2024, the "Supercell" actor made an appearance on David Duchovny’s “Fail Better” podcast to talk about "another phase" that was coming in regards to his highly publicized "Rust" case.

“There’s more to come, but the ‘more to come’ is now my effort, and it’s going to be undeniably a successful effort, to raise and to expose what really happened,” he explained. “I was counterpunching. I was on the defensive. I was being accused. I was being indicted.”

“We have more sh-t that’s going to come out in ensuing legal filings and so forth,” Baldwin continued. “There’s so much of this case that is not known because we didn’t have a full trial.”

At this time, it is unclear if the information he plans to reveal will impact the appeal of armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who is currently serving an 18-month sentence.