Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Names and faces
■ Alec Baldwin told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos in an interview airing today that he did not pull the trigger on a prop gun he was holding on a New Mexico film set when it went off, killing a cinematographer. “I didn’t pull the trigger,” Baldwin said. “I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them. Never.” It is Baldwin’s first sitdown interview since the Oct. 21 shooting on the set of the Western film “Rust.” While authorities have said Baldwin was told the gun was safe to handle, an investigation is ongoing into how a live round ended up in the weapon as well as who provided the ammunition. On Wednesday, ABC released a clip Wednesday that shows Baldwin breaking down in tears while describing Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer who was killed on the set. Director Joel Souza was also wounded. In response to a question about how a live round ended up on the set, Baldwin said: “I have no idea. Someone put a live bullet in a gun, a bullet that wasn’t even supposed to be on the property.” The interview will air as part of an hourlong special on ABC that will also stream on Hulu later that evening. Investigators have described “some complacency” in how weapons were handled on the “Rust” set. They have said it is too soon to determine whether charges will be filed, amid independent civil lawsuits concerning liability in the fatal shooting. ABC also said that a two-hour special “20/20” to air next week will examine the investigation into the shooting in more depth.
■ People magazine has named Olympic gymnast Simone Biles , actress Sandra Oh, country music icon Dolly Parton and the nation’s teachers as its “2021 People of the Year.” “This year has been a transformative one, pushing us all to create something new and hopefully better for our lives,” the magazine said. “This issue reflects that spirit: Our People of the Year cover stars have all led the way in their fields to help make the world a little bit better.” People said Biles’ focus on mental health “redefined what it means to win in sports.” Parton was cited for giving away millions of books and supporting covid-19 research while Oh was celebrated for fighting anti-Asian hate and working on “transformative stories.” And the nation’s more than 3 million teachers have “gone above and beyond to ensure our nation’s kids have bright opportunities ahead.” The new issue hits newsstands Friday. Last year, People named George Clooney, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Selena Gomez and Regina King as its “2020 People of the Year.”