‘Rust’ script supervisor lawsuit against Alec Baldwin can proceed, judge says
Updated at 10:21 p.m. ET to add that judge’s ruling on a settlement
The “Saturday Night Live” star is appealing a judge’s order that he pay $50,000 to the former “SNL” writer who sued him over his alleged use of language in a skit on the show.
U.S. District Judge D. Brooks Smith, of the Eastern District of New York, on Thursday said Baldwin’s legal team must show evidence of who was responsible for the language, and must also demonstrate that it was used in non-apleaural fashion.
Smith did not set a date for a decision on whether to grant the lawsuit’s motion to dismiss it or whether to allow the case to move forward.
He said that Baldwin’s legal team must show evidence that Alec Baldwin “used profane language” in his portrayal of a Russian terrorist in the sketch, which premiered on Sept. 25. The sketch was based on the real-life trial of Russian operative Maria Butina, who pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to act as a foreign agent, and to acting as a liaison between a Russian official and a Kremlin-linked political party.
“Alec Baldwin’s use of the words ‘pussy,’ ‘dick’ and ‘f***’… was not a ‘joke,”‘ Smith wrote in his ruling. “It was a vulgar and offensive performance of a scene, complete with profane language.”
Alec Baldwin’s legal team asked Smith to dismiss the case, citing the “Saturday Night Live” satire’s inclusion of the same words at the end of its sketch, which Baldwin used to refer to Russian politician Maria Butina.
The judge said he was not convinced by the legal team’s argument that the words were only used in an aural context and could not be understood as profanity.
“The court disagrees,” Smith wrote.
A lawyer for Baldwin in the case, Paul Cambria, said his client “welcomes this ruling” but added that he plans to appeal.
The legal team will now try to convince the judge to let the case go forward.