Gene Maddaus-Senior: Last News

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Andrea Reeb, the special prosecutor in the “Rust” case, resigned on Tuesday, saying she did not want questions about her dual roles as a legislator and prosecutor to “cloud” the issues. The move is another setback for the prosecution of Alec Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez Reed, who are accused of involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021. The prosecution previously dropped a five-year sentencing enhancement against both defendants, after discovering that the law did not apply at the time of Hutchins’ death. Reeb was hired last August by Mary Carmack-Altwies, the Santa Fe district attorney, to lead the prosecution. A longtime prosecutor from Clovis, N.M., Reeb was elected in November as a Republican member of the state House of Representatives.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer As it prepares for tough negotiations with the major studios, the Writers Guild of America issued a report on Friday emphasizing that the entertainment business is “highly profitable.” The guild is seeking to counter the gloomy tenor of industry coverage, which tends to stress that companies are losing billions on streaming. In its State of the Industry report, the guild argued that entertainment divisions remain profitable overall, and that the companies have a “path to profitability” in streaming. “(T)he fundamental truth remains: the content writers create has tremendous value,” the report concluded. “The companies have demonstrated time and time again that they can and will capture that value, but writers and the WGA must work to ensure that success is shared.”

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Alec Baldwin will face a two-week evidentiary hearing in a Santa Fe courtroom in May, as prosecutors seek to show there is enough evidence to try him for the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. At a brief status conference on Thursday, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer scheduled the preliminary hearing to begin on May 3. Baldwin’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, said that the actor “wants his day in court,” and would not agree to delay the hearing much beyond the 60-day statutory deadline. Baldwin and “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed were charged in January with involuntary manslaughter, which carries a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The Santa Fe district attorney on Monday defended the appointment of a state lawmaker to prosecute Alec Baldwin in the “Rust” case, saying there is no reason she cannot fulfill both roles. Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed both face involuntary manslaughter charges in the October 2021 death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. They are scheduled for a virtual court appearance on Thursday. Baldwin’s lawyers are seeking to disqualify the special prosecutor, Andrea Reeb, arguing that she cannot serve as both a prosecutor and a member of the state Legislature under the separation-of-powers provision of the state constitution.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer “Michael,” the Lionsgate biopic about Michael Jackson, will receive more than $21 million in California tax credits, the state’s film commission announced Monday. The California Film Commission announced the latest round of credit allocations, totaling $81.7 million for 24 projects. The commission stated that “Michael” will generate $120 million in “qualified” in-state spending, which is more than any other project in the 14-year history of the tax credit program. The project was announced in January, with Jackson’s nephew Jaafar in the lead role. John Branca and John McClain, the executors of the Jackson estate, are producing with Graham King.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Paramount Global disclosed on Friday that it will pay $122.5 million to settle lawsuits from Viacom shareholders arising from the company’s merger with CBS. In a securities filing, the company revealed that it has agreed to settle the class action litigation now pending in the Delaware Court of Chancery. The settlement still requires judicial approval. The plaintiffs had alleged that Paramount Global’s chairwoman, Shari Redstone, ousted board members in a “tyrannical” effort to merge the two companies. The suit alleged that CBS stock was overpriced in the merger, and that Viacom was undervalued, causing harm to Viacom shareholders.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Georgia lawmakers will take a close look at all of the state’s tax incentives — including its TV and film production program — with an eye toward reforming the ones that don’t work. Gov. Brian Kemp joined Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and House Speaker Jon Burns on Thursday to announce that a “thorough review” of tax credits will take place after the current legislative session. The announcement specifically included the $1.3 billion film credit, the state’s largest tax incentive, which has traditionally enjoyed bipartisan support. Jones, who was elected in November, campaigned eliminating the state income tax, which would require either eliminating tax credits entirely or turning them into cash grants. Other lawmakers have also sought to reduce income taxes for all taxpayers by eliminating business tax credits.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Attorneys for Jussie Smollett filed their appeal of his conviction on Wednesday, as they seek to keep him from having to go back to jail on hate crime hoax charges. Smollett was released a year ago pending his appeal, after serving six days of his 150-day sentence. Attorneys for the former “Empire” actor were originally due to file his appellate brief last August, but have been granted five extensions of that deadline. Smollett was convicted in December 2021 of lying to police when he claimed to have been assaulted by two men who shouted homophobic and racist slurs, poured a chemical substance on him, and put a rope around his neck.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer California has tried using carrots to encourage film and TV productions to hire a diverse workforce. Now, for the first time, it’s getting out the sticks. Under a proposal from the governor’s office, productions that fail to meet their diversity goals will lose 4% of their tax credit allocation. The provision is part of a five-year extension of the state’s $330 million tax credit. Productions that receive the credit will be required to submit a diversity “workplan,” under which they must commit to hire a crew that is “broadly reflective” of the state’s demographics.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Three “Rust” crew members sued Alec Baldwin and the film’s producers on Monday, alleging they have suffered anxiety and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the shooting death of the film’s cinematographer. The three crew members were in the church building at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe, N.M., when Baldwin’s gun fired, striking cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and director Joel Souza. Baldwin has denied pulling the trigger, though prosecutors have charged him with involuntarily manslaughter for allegedly firing the weapon while it was pointed at Hutchins. The plaintiffs in the latest suit are Ross Addiego, the dolly operator, Doran Curtin, the set costumer, and Reese Price, the key grip. According to the suit, all three were in close proximity to Baldwin when the gun was fired, and suffered “blast injuries” from the deafening sound of the shot.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed a key figure in Florida’s “parental rights” movement to the board that will oversee Disney’s Orlando theme parks, in a sign that the governor is still leaning in to the cultural fight with the entertainment giant. DeSantis signed a bill on Monday that strips Disney of control over its special governing district and establishes a successor agency to handle zoning, fire service, infrastructure and utilities at the parks. “The corporate kingdom finally comes to an end,” DeSantis said. He also appointed five members to the board of the newly named Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer In May 2021, Ashley Morgan Smithline appeared on the cover of People magazine next to the headline: “I survived a monster.” The story announced that Smithline, who has worked as a model and actor, was “ready to tell her truth” about the horrific abuse she had suffered at the hands of Marilyn Manson. Among other things, she alleged that Manson had tied her up and raped her while she slept, drank her blood and carved his initials into her thigh. “I was brainwashed, and it makes me feel disgusting,” she said, alongside a photo in which she displayed the scar. But in a three-page declaration filed in court on Thursday, Smithline recanted her allegations.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the armorer who loaded Alec Baldwin’s gun on the set of “Rust,” made her first court appearance Friday in her involuntary manslaughter case. Gutierrez Reed did not enter a plea at the hearing, which was held via Google Meet. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, of the First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe, N.M., advised her of her rights and set conditions of her release. At the brief hearing, District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies argued that Gutierrez Reed should not be allowed to possess a gun during the pendency of the case, given the allegation that she had engaged in “sloppy mishandling of firearms.”

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The producers of “Rust” have agreed to pay a reduced penalty of $100,000 to resolve the OSHA case that arose from the shooting death of the cinematographer Halyna Hutchins by Alec Baldwin. The New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau issued a $136,793 penalty last April, the highest allowed by law. Rust Movie Productions was scheduled to challenge the citation at a state commission hearing in June. Under the settlement, the state agency agreed to the reduced penalty and dropped its claim that the production committed a “willful” violation of safety rules. A “willful” citation is the most severe under OSHA’s enforcement system.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Alec Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter, and waived his appearance in court on Friday. Baldwin remains free without having to post a bond. The actor was due to make his first court appearance on Friday via Google Meet, but chose instead to submit his not guilty plea through a court filing. Baldwin faces up to 18 months in prison if convicted in connection with the death of “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The Santa Fe D.A. alleges that he acted with “criminal negligence” when he fired a loaded weapon during preparation for a scene at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in October 2021.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer A former MoviePass executive was arrested Tuesday on charges that he embezzled $260,000 from the company to pay for a party at Coachella Music Festival. Khalid Itum, 42, was indicted on two counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering. The charges allege that Itum submitted sham invoices to MoviePass to pay for the marketing event, which he had run through a separate company that he owned and controlled. MoviePass collapsed in 2019, after losing hundreds of millions of dollars on its all-you-can-watch theatrical subscription business. Last November, the two top executives — Theodore Farnsworth and Mitch Lowe — were indicted on securities fraud charges for allegedly deceiving investors about the sustainability of the business.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Isabella Pollok, a member of the Sarah Lawrence sex cult featured in the Hulu docuseries “Stolen Youth,” was sentenced Wednesday to 54 months in federal prison. Pollok, 31, pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to commit money laundering, avoiding a trial. According to prosecutors, she served as the chief lieutenant to Lawrence Ray, who relied on her to gain the trust of young women whom he would exploit for sex and money. Ray was sentenced in January to 60 years in prison, after being convicted of extortion, sex trafficking and racketeering. Under her plea agreement, Pollok faced a maximum of five years in prison. Her attorneys argued, however, that she should face no jail time, and stated that Ray had “brainwashed” her into doing his bidding.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Investigators spent more than a year sorting out blame for the death of Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer killed on the set of “Rust.” In the end, two agencies came to two sharply different conclusions about Alec Baldwin’s level of responsibility as a producer of the film. Prosecutors charged Baldwin for firing the gun that killed Hutchins, but also for management failures that created a hazardous set. “We believe Baldwin, as a producer, knows everything that goes on, on the set,” prosecutor Andrea Reeb said on Fox News’ “The Five” last month. “There were a lot of safety concerns that were brought to the attention of management, and he did nothing about it.” 

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The producers of “Rust” announced Wednesday that they will complete the film at the Yellowstone Film Ranch in Montana, with production set to begin this spring. Alec Baldwin is still on board in the lead role, despite facing a charge of involuntary manslaughter in New Mexico for the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The filmmakers announced in October that they would finish the film, which has been on hold since Hutchins was shot and killed in October 2021. The announcement was made as the production settled a civil suit with Hutchins’ widower, Matthew, who will become an executive producer.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Prosecutors have dropped a five-year gun enhancement against Alec Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, after the defendants argued that the law did not apply at the time of the shooting on the set “Rust.” Baldwin, the film’s star, and Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer, now face a maximum sentence of only 18 months if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. When the charges were filed on Jan. 31, prosecutors sought to apply a statute that imposes harsher penalties for gun crimes. Under New Mexico law, if a gun is discharged in the course of a felony, defendants can face an extra five years in prison.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Dominion Voting Systems alleges that emails, depositions and text messages among Fox News executives and its top stars show that the network had a clear financial motive to lie to its audience about voter fraud in the wake of the 2020 election. In a summary judgement motion filed Thursday, the company argued that Fox anchors feared losing viewers to rival Newsmax if they did not perpetuate the fantasy that the election was stolen from President Trump. “The network is being rejected,” wrote Sean Hannity, in a text message to Laura Ingraham and Tucker Carlson. In another text thread, Hannity wrote: “Respecting this audience whether we agree or not is critical.”