Alec Baldwin denies the claim that he requested a larger gun before the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust.

Alec Baldwin denies the claim that he requested a bigger gun before the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust. The production of the Joel Souza-directed Western has been shrouded in tragedy since October 21, when a prop gun accidentally discharged on set, tragically killing Hutchins and injuring Souza. Baldwin was holding the revolver while rehearsing a scene that required him to cross-draw and point the weapon in the direction of the camera when it discharged a live round.

In the months following the tragedy, many more details have come out about the incident. During an interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos intended to clear the air, Baldwin said he didn't pull the trigger of the gun that delivered the fatal blow, a claim which has been disputed by industry experts. Production of Rust has been suspended indefinitely while authorities in New Mexico investigate the incident. Until then, various claims and allegations continue to be thrown around.

Related: Every Real Life Figure Alec Baldwin Has Played In Movies & TV

The latest claim is that Baldwin request a larger gun on the set of Rust before the fatal shooting of Hutchins, which the actor now denies in a tweet (via Daily Mail). In response to a Newsweek article that made the claim, Baldwin says it is "a lie" and any decisions regarding the film's props were made weeks before production began. Read what Baldwin's tweet said below:

This, in fact, is a lie. The choices regarding any props by me for the film RUST were made weeks before production began. To suggest that any changes were made "before fatal shooting" is false.

This comes after the news that Baldwin deleted his Twitter account, likely due to the backlash he was receiving after the ABC News interview. However, it seems he has re-instated his account, though it's now set to protected, meaning only approved followers can see his posts. This tweet also comes after Baldwin's phone was handed over to the police to be searched for any evidence related to the investigation into Hutchins' death, including emails he exchanged with the film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, which is when Baldwin allegedly requested a larger gun.

So far, Baldwin has been cooperating fully with the investigation and has maintained he is not responsible for Hutchins' death, though someone else is. Whether or not Baldwin requested a bigger gun may have little bearing on the outcome of the investigation, though the claim that he did comes straight from Detective Alexandria Hancock, which makes it difficult to doubt its validity, even with Baldwin's denial. For now, the wait for the authorities to complete their investigation into the Rust shooting and publish their official findings continues.

Next: Why Prop Guns Can Be Lethal: The Real Danger On Film Sets

Adam Bentz is a movie and TV news writer for Screen Rant. From a young age, Adam has been interested in a wide range of movies and television, but it was talented auteurs like Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Aaron Sorkin who ultimately sparked his interest in the craft. Motivated by his love for the screen, Adam studied creative writing with a concentration in screenwriting at Southern New Hampshire University. After graduating, Adam interned as a writer with The Borgen Project, a nonprofit organization working to end extreme poverty. Other than writing for Screen Rant, Adam reviews films on his website adambentz.wordpress.com