The actor Alec Baldwin has said suggestions he is not complying with the investigation into a deadly shooting on a New Mexico film set last year are “bullshit and a lie”.
Baldwin was holding a revolver during a rehearsal for his movie Rust on 21 October when it fired, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding the film’s director.
Baldwin has said he did not know the gun contained a live round. Investigators are trying to find where the live round came from.
At issue is a search warrant for Baldwin’s cellphone, which authorities hope can provide information. Authorities do not have the phone. The search warrant said investigators were looking for messages, images, videos, calls or any other information related to the movie production.
On Saturday, the New York Post, a Murdoch-owned tabloid, carried the story on its cover under the headline: “Why won’t Alec help? Blocking phone records in movie-slay probe.”
In a response filmed in his car and posted to Instagram, Baldwin said: “Any suggestion that I am not complying with requests or orders or demands or search warrants about my phone, that’s bullshit and a lie.”
Baldwin said authorities in New Mexico had to go through New York authorities.
“This is a process where one state makes the request of another state,” he said. “Someone from another state can’t come to you and say, ‘Give me your phone.’ Give me this give me that.’ They can’t do that. They’re going to go through the state you live in.
“And it’s a process that takes time. They have to specify what exactly they want. [They] can’t just go through your phone and take your photos, your love letters to your wife or what have you. I really don’t know but of course we are 1,000% going to comply with all that. We’re perfectly fine with that.”
Baldwin also complained about coverage of the issue.
“Sidney Poitier died,” he said, referring to the Oscar-winning actor. “He’s on the cover of the Daily News and the cover of the Post has something else.
“Sidney Poitier, one of the icons of his business, [one of the] kings, movie royalty, dies and on the cover of the Post they have other lies and bullshit and nonsense.”
Baldwin went on to say he was committed to finding out the truth about the shooting and Hutchins’ death.
“The best way, the only way we can honor the death of Halyna Hutchins is to find out the truth,” he said. “That’s what I’m working toward, insisting on, demanding that the organisations involved in this investigation do everything in their power … to find out what really happened. That’s all that matters.
“The best way to honor the death of Halyna Hutchins is to find out the truth and any suggestion that I will not comply myself and any lawyers I’m working with or whatever is a lie. As soon as we go through this process, by all means we will comply.
“But I have no worries about that. I have no worries. It’s all gonna work itself out. Regardless of what they say on these rightwing rag sheets. People are all about hate. But setting aside all the hate, setting aside all the 6 January of it all, here it is.”
His reference to 6 January was to the first anniversary of the attack on the US Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump – who is supported by the New York Post and who Baldwin played on Saturday Night Live.
Baldwin then showed again a packet of Splenda sweetener with a supportive message written on it, which he said he had been given and had lost, before it was found at a local juice shop and returned.