RIP

Alec Baldwin is surrounding himself with family in an off-the-beaten-path location in the wake of the fatal accident on his "Rust" movie set -- but his face shows the tragedy's still weighing on him.

We obtained these photos of Alec with his wife, Hilaria, and their kids grabbing a meal at a pizza joint in a small New England town. Witnesses tell us they were spotted out there on Sunday picking up a takeout order ... which Alec was carrying as his family followed close behind.

You can see, both Alec and Hilaria had their heads down and looked as somber as you'd expect considering the horrific events of last week.

As you know, Alec pulled the trigger on a revolver while rehearsing a "Rust" scene in Santa Fe, NM -- and the shot ended up killing his director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, and injuring director Joel Souza.

By all accounts, Alec didn't know the gun in his hand was loaded with live ammunition. Assistant director Dave Halls handed it to him and said it was a "cold gun." Halls later admitted to cops he had not properly checked the weapon.

Last Saturday, Alec met with Halyna's husband and son in New Mexico, not far from the movie set. It looks like Alec was wearing the same outfit the next day when he was in New England with his family ... and clearly had so much on his mind.

Alec Baldwin is seemingly declaring his innocence in the accident that killed Halyna Hutchins by pointing out he was told it was a "cold" gun ... when it was actually loaded with a live round.

Baldwin retweeted an article Wednesday night about the most recent search warrant filed in the death investigation. The NYT story -- headlined, "Gun Handed to Alec Baldwin Was Not Thoroughly Checked" -- focused on the documents TMZ first told you about, which highlight several safety failures.

In the affidavit filed Wednesday, Assistant Director Dave Halls admitted to cops he had not thoroughly checked the weapon for live rounds before handing it to Baldwin.

While Alec hasn't said anything publicly since his first tweet the day after Hutchins was killed, his actions on social media speak volumes, retweeting multiple articles saying he was told the weapon was safe.

Head armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, told authorities prior to the scene, and during the movie's lunch break, the gun was locked in a safe and very few people had access to it.

The question that remains ... how did live ammo not only get on set, but into the gun's chamber? We spoke with several people from the set who told us outside of filming, the gun was sometimes used for recreational use and target practice.

Both the Santa Fe Co. Sheriff's Office and District Attorney held a press conference Wednesday where they said charges are technically still on the table for everyone involved.

It's time to drop the curtain on the Alec Baldwin movie "Rust" after the fatal shooting on set ... at least according to one of the principal actors.

Ian A. Hudson, a New Mexico-based principal cast member who plays an outlaw in the film, tells TMZ ... the show can't go on because slain cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was the vision behind the movie.

While Ian says it's ultimately up to director Joel Souza and the rest of the creative minds, he thinks the movie just wouldn't be the same without Halyna and Joel working in tandem ... and it's time to throw in the towel.

Remember ... Ian was smack in the center of some of the gun scenes in the movie, and he told us his shootout scene felt "life-threatening" because real firearms were firing blanks at him, resulting in him being struck by small bits of cardboard and a rush of air.

As you know ... Alec pulled the trigger on a gun that fired the fatal live round of ammo that killed Halyna and injured Joel.

Assistant director Dave Halls gave Alec the gun used in the scene, telling him it was a "cold gun" ... meaning it was not loaded.

There's an ongoing investigation into the incident and authorities say criminal charges are still on the table for all involved ... which could make it even harder for the movie to continue.

We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast.

Halyna Hutchins' family is almost certainly gearing up for a wrongful death lawsuit -- in the wake of her death on the set of the movie "Rust" -- and TMZ has learned the insurance policy that covered the production is limited to $6 million.

We obtained the certificate of insurance written by Front Row Insurance Brokers. General liability coverage is limited to $1 million per occurrence. There is also a commercial umbrella policy -- which is a supplement to the general liability coverage -- for an additional $5 million.

The production company filed a permit for the film, and the paperwork shows a $1 million policy, but that appears to be the minimum required for shooting in New Mexico. The production company obtained the umbrella, which is quite typical but not referenced in the permit.

It sounds like a lot of money, but it could be woefully inadequate. 42-year-old Hutchins was a rising star with decades of earnings ahead of her. She was also a mother and a wife, which allows her son and husband to collect for loss of affection. And remember, director Joel Souza was also shot and wounded, and he would have a personal injury claim. The total the insurance company would pay for both Hutchins and Souza is limited to $6 mil.

There's a wild card here ... punitive damages. In New Mexico, if there's proof of recklessness or wanton misconduct, a jury could award punitive damages, and that could send any judgment into the stratosphere.

It seems obvious there was serious negligence on the set, to say the least. A real gun was used, something gun experts on movie sets say is a clear violation. The gun fired off a fatal live round of ammunition, and live rounds should never be on a movie set. And, the area in the line of fire should have been cleared of people, which it was not.

And, there's more. The gun in question clearly was not adequately inspected before it was handed over to Alec Baldwin. And, as we reported several days ago, some members of the crew were using that gun for target practice -- with real bullets. And, someone may have been doing just that hours before the shooting on the set.

There's another issue ... Front Row would not discuss the terms of the policy with us, but typically there are numerous requirements insurance companies impose and violations of those requirements could allow the company to deny coverage. For instance, given this was a policy to cover a western with various gun scenes, there may be an exclusion if there was live ammo on the set.

The gaffer from the set of 'Rust' who torched producers and the novice armorer over Halyna Hutchins' death is back in Los Angeles. ... and he's got some support waiting for him.

Serge Svetnoy touched down in L.A. Tuesday just a couple days after his scathing Facebook post squarely blaming Hannah Reed and others working behind the scenes for allowing this tragedy to unfold on set.

As you can see, Serge was greeted by a friend ... who was ready to welcome him with open arms. The 2 embraced in a hug, although the guy still looked pretty somber, and understandably so.

He also appears to be one of the first crew members back on the West Coast after last week's shooting incident in New Mexico. It could be a sign of where cops are in the investigation too -- presumably, the authorities are starting to cut people loose.

Like we told you ... Serge wasn't shy about sharing his criticism of what went wrong and whose actions he thinks cost Halyna her life. He explicitly mentioned the 24-year-old weapons expert ... while also throwing around words like "negligence" and "unprofessionalism."

In addition to his comments, he also posted what's believed to be one of the last photographs of her ... shortly before she died.

She and the rest of the crew were rehearsing a scene in a church, where Alec Baldwin was in full costume ... and where he ultimately did a cross-draw motion and fired the gun, not knowing it had a live round of ammo in one of the chambers. Serge says he was holding Halyna, and was covered in her blood before she was airlifted.

So far, there've been no criminal charges brought forth -- but the investigation is still underway, and this is far from over.

A haunting image showing Halyna Hutchins on the set of "Rust" helps paint an eerie picture of the DP's surroundings in her final moments after the fatal accident on set of the Alec Baldwin film.

The photo -- uploaded by the movie's chief electrician Serge Svetnoy -- claims to be the last photo with Halyna on set. Hutchins is wearing a tan beanie with headphones covering her ears.

The setting is what makes the photo so tragic considering it was inside the same church where she was shot and killed after the gun Baldwin was holding fired a live round that struck her in the chest.

According to the search warrant, obtained by TMZ, the fatal scene was supposed to depict Baldwin, sitting in a church pew, pulling his gun from his holster and firing into the camera. The warrant says Baldwin believed he was getting a "cold gun" without ammo from the assistant director, but that was not the case.

In a scathing Facebook post, Svetnoy blamed "negligence and unprofessionalism" on the part of the film's armorer and assistant director for Hutchins' death. He claims he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Halyna during the fatal shot, saying, "I was holding her in my arms while she was dying. Her blood was on my hands."

As we reported, the accident is still under investigation, but a lot of suspicion has been raised about the level of experience armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed brought to the project.

In a podcast recorded last month, Reed claimed she had only recently come off her first film as head armorer and almost didn't take the gig because she felt she wasn't ready.

Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins says a Dallas Stars fan crossed the line before Monday night's game ... claiming he was taunted over the death of his teammate Matiss Kivlenieks -- and now the team is investigating.

Merzlikins -- who was friends with Kivlenieks before his tragic passing in July -- says he was walking out of the tunnel before taking the ice in Columbus when a fan in a Stars sweater started heckling him.

The 27-year-old addressed the incident with reporters after the 4-1 win, saying he truly believes the nasty remark resulted in karma on the ice.

"I was expecting a shutout because I believe in karma," Merzlikins said. "There are some stupid people in this world. It was really bad what happened in the tunnel when I was walking out. There was a fan from Dallas who (provoked) me about Matiss."

"After the first period, the three posts that I got, I really believed in karma. I saw that he was really there."

Merzlikins says he did not respond to the fan or get upset over the comment ... adding, "stupid people don't really come in my head."

Sad news in the NFL ... replay official Carl Madsen died on Sunday shortly after working the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Tennessee Titans game in Tennessee.

He was 71 years old.

The NFL announced the tragic passing on Monday -- with league reporter Tom Pelissero saying Madsen died "while en route home" from the Week 7 matchup at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.

No other information surrounding his death has been given.

Madsen -- a veteran of the U.S. Air Force -- was an on-field official for the NFL from 1997 to 2008 ... before he became a replay official for the league in '09.

"Carl Madsen was an NFL officiating fixture for more than two decades, first as a highly respected on-field official before transitioning to a replay role beginning in 2009," NFL senior VP of officiating training and development Walt Anderson said.

"A terrific friend and colleague, Carl's love of football and dedication to officiating was ever-present, as he generously shared his time to mentor young officials at clinics across the country. A veteran of the Air Force, Carl had a tremendous spirit and will be greatly missed."

#RIP

Dozens of athletes and celebs have gotten Kobe Bryant tattoos in the wake of the NBA legend's passing, but Gerald Green's new Mamba ink might just top them all ...

The former NBA player -- who just announced his retirement last week -- revealed he had a pic of him defending Bryant tatted on his right arm recently.

The artwork is very cool -- it's a tat based on a photo of him trying to block Bryant's shot at the rim during a game when Green played for the Suns.

The piece is a big one ... it stretches from the top of Green's bicep almost all the way down to his inner elbow -- and it's all in black and white coloring.

Of course, Green made the move to honor Bryant -- someone he's never shied away from publicly praising.

You'll recall, Green wore a #8 Bryant jersey to a game in the days following the ex-hooper's tragic death ... saying at the time that Kobe had inspired him since he was a child.

"I don't think anybody could ever achieve the things that he did," the 35-year-old said, adding, "There will never be another number 8 or 24. Never."

Stu Billett -- the mastermind who created "The People's Court" and birthed the whole genre of courtroom TV shows -- has died.

Stu died Friday in Los Angeles as a result of natural causes ... according to reps for 'People's Court.' He was surrounded by family when he passed.

Billett dreamed up 'TPC' back in 1981, and while it was a big TV ratings winner, it was much more than that ... as it became a pop culture phenomenon.

The show's OG judge, Joseph Wapner, became a catchphrase when Dustin Hoffman's character in "Rain Man" obsessed over 'People's Court' ... continually counting down, "15 minutes to Wapner."

The show also spawned countless satirical takes over the years on 'SNL' -- the most recent one featured Kim Kardashian playing her older sister in "The People's Kourt."

The OG 'People's Court' ran from 1981 to 1993 ... first with Wapner as the star. It was rebooted in 1997 with former NYC Mayor Ed Koch as the judge, then Judge Judy's husband, Jerry Sheindlin, took on the role and finally Judge Marilyn Milian took the bench ... and the show's still going strong.

Stu, who won 4 Daytime Emmy awards for his work as the show's executive producer, served in the military -- as a U.S. Marine -- before getting into TV as a producer's assistant on several shows.

He's being remembered by his 'TPC' family as "a kind and remarkable man who made a great impact on the lives of so many people, and he will be missed tremendously."

Stu is survived by his wife of more than 40 years and his children and grandkids.

He was 85.

A Texas drag racing event turned deadly on Saturday when a driver lost control of his ride and slammed into spectators -- killing two boys and injuring eight others.

The tragic incident happened at Kerrville-Kerr County Airport in Kerrville, Texas (60 miles north of San Antonio) during an event called "Airport Race Wars 2."

In footage of the race, you can see two cars sped down the runway ... when things took a tragic turn.

The driver in the right lane suddenly veered hard to the left ... and crashed into parked cars and spectators.

The Kerrville Police Department said in a statement that a 6-year-old boy was killed at the scene and an 8-year-old boy later died at the Peterson Regional Medical Center due to injuries suffered in the wreck.

Cops say eight others -- ranging from three months old to 46 years old -- were injured in the accident as well. The driver, meanwhile, was hurt in the crash but is said to be in stable condition.

The KPD says an investigation into the wreck is ongoing.

Flyin Diesel Performance -- which organized the event for the 3,500 fans -- added that it's working with the KPD ... and is devastated by the tragedy.

"On behalf of the entire Flyin Diesel team we extend our most sincere condolences to the families affected on Saturdays event!"

Halyna Hutchins was honored with yet another candlelight vigil in the wake of her tragic death -- only this time, it was held on the West Coast ... with members of the union of which she was in.

Dozens of people came out Sunday night with lit candles in hand, congregating at the I.A.T.S.E. Local 80 building in Burbank -- the main California headquarters, which advocates for scores of creatives who work in the film and TV industry ... presumably, Halyna too.

It was a somber gathering, where folks looked to be hanging out mostly in silence ... or speaking quietly to their neighbor. Most everyone was wearing face masks. There also appeared to be some people with signs, calling for the firing of I.A.T.S.E. Prez Matt Loeb.

The union has been in the news lately ... threatening to have its members go on strike if certain demands weren't met, including higher pay. A deal was recently struck to avoid any such shutdown -- but after Halyna's death, ya gotta wonder if safety was brought up in these negotiations. If not, it will almost certainly be addressed at the next juncture.

This is the second candlelight vigil for Halyna -- there was one held last week in Albuquerque, NM ... not far from where she was accidentally shot and killed by Alec Baldwin.

Snoop Dogg's mother, Beverly Tate, has died ... this according to her own son.

The rapper broke the news Sunday, posting a tribute to her on Instagram and writing ... "Thank u god for giving me an angel 🕊 for a mother 💖🙏🏽🌹💝 TWMA." There's another post where he thanks his mom for having him. A cause of death wasn't revealed.

SD's father, Vernell, also confirmed the news ... and he too asked for prayers, noting the family needed it now more than ever.

Ms. Tate had been hospitalized earlier this year for undisclosed reasons -- Snoop had asked his fans send good vibes while his mother was in the hospital. He later updated folks by letting them know she was "still fighting" and had opened her eyes ... but didn't mention much else specifically.

Clearly, they were close. Snoop attributes a lot of his good qualities to how she raised him -- even recently disclosing that she was the one who encouraged him to apologize to Gayle King over his comments in response to her Kobe Bryant remark last year.

Beverly had two other sons by Vernell ... and raised the family in Long Beach, CA. She brought Snoop up in a church environment -- something he still alludes to this day.

James Michael Tyler -- famous for playing Gunther on "Friends" -- has died.

The actor's rep tells TMZ ... JMT passed away peacefully Sunday morning at his home in L.A. -- this after battling stage 4 prostate cancer.

His family says ... "The world knew him as Gunther (the seventh "Friend"), from the hit series "Friends," but Michael’s loved ones knew him as an actor, musician, cancer-awareness advocate, and loving husband."

They add, "Michael loved live music, cheering on his Clemson Tigers, and would often find himself in fun and unplanned adventures. If you met him once you made a friend for life."

James first revealed his cancer diagnosis earlier this year -- which stunned fans, as he'd just appeared in the reunion special and made no mention of it. He later clarified why he hadn't gone public at that time -- saying he didn't wanna be a downer for the special moment.

He was first diagnosed with cancer in 2018, and kept it private for 3 years.

James has acted in several big shows over the course of his career -- including "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," "Scrubs," "Modern Music," "Just Shoot Me!" and others ... but his biggest claim to fame is the long-running sitcom, where he played a worker at the Central Perk cafe.

He starred in 150 episodes of "Friends" over the course of its 10-year run ... and is absolutely beloved by the fan base. James is survived by his wife, Jennifer Carno.

James Michael Tyler was 59.

The assistant director on the set of "Rust" who told Alec Baldwin the prop gun he was about to fire was safe has allowed an unsafe working environment on previous productions ... this according to someone who worked with him on a previous production.

Propmaker Maggie Goll worked with A.D. Dave Halls in 2019 on Hulu's "Into the Dark" series. She says, "At first he seemed like an older, affable first [A.D.] with the usual run of idiosyncrasies, but that facade soon disappeared," adding, "He did not maintain a safe working environment."

"He did not maintain a safe working environment," Goll said in a statement to NBC News. "Sets were almost always allowed to become increasingly claustrophobic, no established fire lanes, exits blocked ... safety meetings were nonexistent."

Goll says in one case Halls continued to let cameras roll in the middle of a medical emergency -- when something happened to the pyrotechnician -- and she says that created a dangerous situation.

Perhaps most alarming ... she says Halls didn't hold safety meetings when a gun was used on the set.

Halls is the one who gave Baldwin the prop gun and yelled, "cold gun" ... meaning it had no live rounds. Apparently that was a fatal error.

Simon Monjack isn't the monster he was portrayed to be in HBO's newest Brittany Murphy doc, so says his brother, who feels he was duped into participating in the whole thing.

The two-part series investigates the life, relationships and death of the actress ... but mostly focuses on her bizarre marriage to Simon Monjack -- who died just 5 months after Murphy. There's a lot of suspicions raised about the circumstances surrounding her death, but one theme in the doc remains constant ... Simon wasn't a good dude.

Throughout the episodes, Simon is accused of controlling Brittany, taking her money, having secret kids and eventually preventing her from getting medical attention.

Monjack's brother, James, who is interviewed in the series tells us he was disappointed that the filmmakers made Simon out to be the villain.

James says the project was originally pitched to him to be investigative journalism into the couple's deaths, but instead, it came off as a sensationalistic piece. James said he and his mother -- who was also interviewed -- had hoped the series would lead to a breakthrough in what actually killed Simon and Brittany, but made it seem more like Simon led to her death.

While James says he was able to watch the entire thing, his mom won't ... and she too is upset that all it really did was point fingers at Simon.