Alec Baldwin to call celebrity friends to testify in 'Rust' manslaughter trial

Actor Alec Baldwin is said to be looking at calling on high-profile celebrities to testify on his behalf during his upcoming criminal trial in New Mexico, where he was accused of manslaughter in connection with the shooting death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of "Rust."

According to TMZ, Baldwin's attorneys are looking to celebrities who have publicly supported him since the 2021 shooting. Some of the possible celebrities named were Frances Fisher, Mickey Rourke, and Debra Messing.

The outlet gave two reasons for Baldwin to call other actors to trial. Pointing to Mickey Roarke's statements, actors want to "be able to rely on when an armorer tells them 'this is a cold gun you can use it in this scene and just act away.'"

TMZ also noted that they just want to have a lot of celebrities "because a jury will sort of be in awe to see Mikey Rourke and Debra Messing talk to them, and that could help Baldwin in his case."

Mikey Rourke previously said, "Whatever Alec needs I'll be there 100%." He added, "The armorer is 100% responsible for any gun handed to an actor. Especially, to an actor who didn't have experience with guns."

Earlier this month, now-former armorer for Rust Hannah Guttierez-Reed, 26, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for her role in the shooting. The jury found that she failed to ensure that proper gun safety protocols were taken and that her actions, or lack thereof, resulted in the killing.

During the trial, her lawyers argued that she was being used as a "convenient scapegoat." Prosecutors argued she "repeatedly" put lives at risk on set due to her negligence pointing to live ammo that was on the set for almost two weeks before the shooting.

She said in her testimony, "I walked in, and I said, 'All right, Alec. I’m going to be your armorer. We’re going to go over how to shoot all your weapons, how to load them, how to make them safe, and we’re going to make sure that you really know — that you look like you know what you’re doing.'" She was found not guilty of a separate charge of witness tampering.

Baldwin's trial is set to begin in July.