Halyna Hutchins's husband, Matthew, attended an event honoring influential women in entertainment, media and technology, but the night belonged to late cinematographer and her legacy.
TheWrap's Power Women Summit held its event Wednesday night at the London West Hollywood in a star-studded affair that included Sarah Paulson and Cynthia Erivo. But the night belonged to Halyna, and there was palpable energy in the ballroom with Matthew in attendance.
Matthew Hutchins at the Power Women Summit Live Event
Susan Ruskin, dean of the American Film Institute, honored Halyna with a touching speech and was later photographed hugging Matthew. "Our community is rocked by the loss,” said Ruskin, who according to TheWrap also called for a moment of silence.
“It means a great deal to just sit in this moment, and to remember that we are all part of this community,” she said. “And our hope is that (the scholarship fund) will support us to make sure that memory continues on.” Matthew, who didn't speak at the event, had previously shared a link to the memorial scholarship established in Halyna's name at the AFI Conservatory. In a follow-up tweet, Matthew also thanked Halyna's friends and mentors at AFI for establishing the scholarship in her honor.
Matthew Hutchins embraced by AFI's Susan Ruskin.
The event came just hours before Alec Baldwin's first sit-down TV interview since the fatal October shooting on the set of his film, Rust, in New Mexico. The 63-year-old actor spoke with Good Morning America co-anchor George Stephanopoulos.
Baldwin, who broke down in tears while recalling the tragic incident, told Stephanopoulos in a preview of the interview that he didn't pull the trigger after the newsman points out that it wasn't in the script for the trigger to be pulled.
"Well, the trigger wasn't pulled, I didn't pull the trigger," Baldwin says.
Stephanopoulos follows up asking, "So you never pulled the trigger?," to which Baldwin responds, "No, no, no. I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them, never."
The GMA co-anchor says the actor didn't hold back while discussing the tragic event that led to Halyna's death while leaving director Joel Souza injured. Stephanopoulos said the interview "was the most intense I've ever experienced."
Matthew has previously shared that he has been in contact with Baldwin. Matthew previously told the Daily Mail that he had "spoken with Alec Baldwin and he is being very supportive."
Back in late October, Matthew spoke out following the loss of the cinematographer. "Halyna inspired us all with her passion and vision, and her legacy is too meaningful to encapsulate in words. Our loss is enormous, and we ask that the media please respect my family’s privacy as we process our grief," Matthew wrote on Twitter, which was accompanied by a photo of Halyna and their 8-year-old son, Andros. "We thank everyone for sharing images and stories of her life."
Following the tragic event, Baldwin tweeted about the incident, saying, "There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. I'm fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna."
Several days later, Baldwin spoke on camera about the incident, telling paparazzi that Hutchins was his "friend."
The Santa Fe Sheriff's Department previously told ET the investigation surrounding Halyna's death remains ongoing and that "all options are still on the table" when it comes to possibly filing charges.
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