Actor Alec Baldwin pleaded not guilty on Thursday to manslaughter charges related to the fatal shooting on the set of the movie “Rust” in 2021. Baldwin, who waived his first court appearance, is released on personal recognizance on the condition that he does not own a gun, abstains from alcohol and does not speak with other witnesses of the shooting. He and armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed were formally charged with involuntary manslaughter last month for the death of the movie’s cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins. Reed is still expected to appear in court Friday.
Baldwin has maintained that he did not pull the trigger of the gun that struck and killed Hutchins, while the attorneys for him and Reed have insisted that their clients are innocent. This week, the charges against Baldwin and Gutierrez Reed were downgraded by prosecutors, reducing the potential prison time the both could face by five years. Additionally, the parents and sister of Hutchins filed a lawsuit against Baldwin, the movie’s production company and others earlier this month.
The case is ongoing, and CNN has reached out to Baldwin for comment.