A new statement issued by cast and crew members of Rust Film refutes all claims that the Rust film set was an exploitative, chaotic, and dangerous workplace.

Sky News reports that actor Alec Baldwin shared an open letter on his Instagram page, which was signed by more than 20 cast and crew members, stating that the public’s narrative surrounding the workplace tragedy is inadequate.

The note acknowledges that it is common to work on unprofessional or hectic productions, however, it describes Rust as a professional environment with areas of brilliance and areas that were more challenging.

The letter stated that the working morale on set was high, and laughter and optimism were common amongst the cast and crew.

The letter also stated that the cast and crew stand firmly with their unions and strongly support the fight for better working conditions across the industry, but makes clear that they do not believe the Rust set was an example of the circumstances they are fighting against.

The letter went on to pay tribute to cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, describing her as the heart of the production and as having an inspiring work ethic.

A number of people working on the set have filed lawsuits against Baldwin, including chief electrician, Serge Svetnoy, and script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell.

This follows the incident on October 21, after a prop firearm containing a live round was fired by Baldwin, resulting in the injury of the film’s director and the death of Ms Hutchins while on set.

The letter concludes with a plea for persons to be sympathetic towards those involved in the tragic incident.