Rust gun supplier sues Alec Baldwin, others for allegedly damaging his reputation

Nearly four years after the tragic Rust shooting that claimed the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, actor Alec Baldwin is facing a new legal battle—this time from the film’s weapons supplier, Seth Kenney.

Kenney, owner of PDQ Arm & Prop, has filed a lawsuit against Baldwin and several others, including Hutchins’ widower, Matthew Hutchins. He accuses them of defamation and orchestrating a coordinated effort to blame him for the 2021 incident.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Kenney—who is representing himself—claims his professional standing was severely harmed by what he calls “cutthroat Hollywood fixers and media manipulation.” He alleges Baldwin and the others “conspired to cast [him] in a nationwide false-light smear campaign” to deflect responsibility from themselves and the production.

Baldwin previously sued Kenney and several crew members in 2022, alleging they failed to maintain proper safety protocols and allowed live ammunition to be delivered and loaded on set. That case has since been settled, but Kenney is now pushing back, asserting that Baldwin and others mishandled his company’s firearms and equipment in an effort to cut costs.

The fatal shooting occurred in October 2021 during a camera rehearsal for the Western film. Baldwin discharged a revolver he believed was “cold”—unloaded and safe—killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. Baldwin has repeatedly insisted he did not pull the trigger and had no reason to suspect live rounds were present.

In a separate criminal case, armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months in prison before being released on parole in May 2025.

Baldwin faced similar charges, but his case was dismissed with prejudice in 2024 after a judge ruled prosecutors had withheld crucial evidence that could have supported his defense.

With Kenney’s new lawsuit, the Rust tragedy—long emblematic of Hollywood’s on-set safety lapses—continues to cast a long shadow over Baldwin and others connected to the ill-fated production.