Actor Alec Baldwin said in a legal filing on Friday that his "Rust" movie contract protects him from financial liability in the fatal shooting of the film's cinematographer, Reuters reported.
Baldwin has been named as a defendant in several civil lawsuits, including one from the husband of Halyna Hutchins, who was killed in October when a gun the actor was using during a rehearsal fired off a live bullet.
In addition to playing the lead role, Baldwin served as a producer of the film.
In an arbitration demand filed against fellow producers, Baldwin seeks to enforce a "broad indemnification clause" in his contract that his lawyers said shields him from financial claims regarding the production.
Baldwin was holding a Colt gun during a rehearsal for the Western in New Mexico in October when it discharged a live round, hitting Hutchins and director Joel Souza. Hutchins later died in hospital of her wounds.
The actor has said that he had no idea how a live bullet got onto the set.
"Someone is responsible for what happened, and I can’t say who that is, but it’s not me," Baldwin said in an interview following the incident, adding, "Honest to god, if I felt I was responsible, I might have killed myself."
The actor says he was told the gun he was handed was "cold," an industry term meaning it is safe to use. He has said he pulled the gun's hammer back but did not pull the trigger.
In Friday’s new filing, attorneys said he provided creative input in his producing role and did not hire any crew members, who were the people responsible for ensuring gun safety procedures were followed.
"This is a rare instance when the system broke down, and someone should be held legally culpable for the tragic consequences," the filing said. "That person is not Alec Baldwin."
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)