Alec Baldwin purchases historic farmhouse in Vermont following 'Rust' death lawsuit
Alec Baldwin and his family are officially heading to New England.
The 30 Rock star, 63, has purchased a rural farmhouse in the peaceful Vermont enclave of Arlington, according to the Bennington Banner, a local newspaper.
The announcement comes after several reports that Baldwin and his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, were house hunting in the area last year. The Baldwin family spent significant time in Vermont last fall following the tragic Rust shooting that resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins when Baldwin discharged a prop gun.
According to the Banner, an ad previously described the Baldwins' new estate as a “classic Vermont 18th century farm that features 55 beautiful acres, a 3,600-square-foot main house, and a nicely-renovated 1800 square-foot guest cottage with 2 baths.” Additional details include “numerous outbuildings, updated horse stalls, several pastures, expansive landscaped lawn areas, pleasant views and a pond with a picturesque waterfall spillway” and “substantial renovations that have taken place in recent years.”
Faith Rhodes, the principal broker and owner of Rhodes Real Estate, told the Banner that she isn't sure how much time the Baldwins, who have six young children, will spend at the home.
"It’s certainly not their primary residence. But they love the community as well," she said. "They got to know it and loved it.”
Video: Alec Baldwin returns to work for 1st time since 'Rust' shooting
The property, which is located on Ice Pond Road, sold Feb. 15 for $1.75 million, multiple sites are reporting. Yahoo reached out for comment to Rhodes Real Estate, but did not receive a reply by press time.
The article also states that Hilaria Baldwin's family has significant history in the Vermont area, and her grandfather even owned a home in Arlington.
Vermont was also the location where Baldwin first spoke out on the death of Hutchins. Baldwin, who was with his wife and children, stood on a Manchester, Vermont street and spoke with a crowd of photographers about the situation, TMZ.com reported at the time.
The news comes the same week as that Baldwin and others were named in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Halyna Hutchins's family alleging "reckless behavior and cost-cutting" on the Western's set led to her "senseless and tragic death." The lawsuit was filed in New Mexico on behalf of Matthew Hutchins, Halyna's husband of 16 years, and their 9-year-old son.
"Alec had the gun in his hand, he shot it, Halyna was killed," Hutchins' lawyer Brian Panish said. "The gun cannot fire unless the trigger is engaged and the hammer is back."
Baldwin recently returned to work for the first time since the tragic shooting occurred in October. Baldwin asserted that he was told the weapon was "cold," meaning it did not contain live ammunition, and that he did not actually pull the trigger. In his first interview after the tragic shooting, Baldwin claimed he had "no idea" how a live bullet made its way onto the set.
"I feel that someone is responsible for what happened, and I can't say who that is, but I know it's not me," Baldwin previously said. “Honest to god, if I felt that I was responsible, I might have killed myself if I thought I was responsible. And I don't say that lightly.”
