Alec Baldwin's Rust trial is over – and the actor has thanked his many supporters over the last three years.
The father-of-eight took to social media to break his silence after the stunning end to the trial on Friday July 12, where he broke down in tears as the Judge dismissed the case.
"There are too many people who have supported me to thank just now. To all of you, you will never know how much I appreciate your kindness toward my family," the 66-year-old shared on Instagram on Saturday morning.
The night before he was seen smiling as he headed out for dinner with brother Stephen and sister Beth Keuchler, who had been in court daily with the actor, and a group of friends. Alec wore a pair of black pants and a tee, with a dark blue blazer for the dinner at the Mexican restaurant Casa Chimayo.
The case had seen the state accuse Alec of involuntary manslaughter after a gun he was rehearsing with while on the set of the movie Rust in 2021 fired a live round, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
He insisted he had been told the gun was "cold," meaning it should have been impossible to fire.
The decision came after Judge Sommer put on blue latex gloves and cut open a manila envelope which contained previously unexamined evidence: live rounds of ammunition that the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office had taken possession of following Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's conviction, but did not record in the official case file.
They also did not reveal their existence to the actor’s defense team.
Alec’s attorney Alex Spiro claimed that the evidence suggested the live ammunition came from the prop supplier, rather than the film’s armorer.
The case was then dismissed with prejudice, which means that a second case cannot be opened against Alec.
Kari Morrissey, the special prosecutor in the case, insisted the ammunition was not linked to the case or hidden from Baldwin’s lawyers. "I believe the importance of the evidence was misconstrued by the defense attorneys," she told the press after.
Alec broke in tears while his wife Hilaria could be seen with her head in her hands as the decision was read out.
Alec and Hilaria share seven children: Ilaria Catalina Irena, 19 months, María Lucía Victoria, three, Eduardo "Edu" Pao Lucas, three, Romeo Alejandro David, five, seven-year-old Leonardo Ángel Charles, Rafael Thomas, eight, and 10-year-old Carmen Gabriela.
Alec is also dad to daughter Ireland, 28, with ex-wife Kim Basinger.
In March 2024, on-set armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who put the live round into the gun, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
She is currently serving 18 months in prison, the maximum sentence. It is thought the dismissal of Alec's case may see her own case reopened.