“They can’t just go through your phone and take your photos, or your love letters to your wife, or what have you,” he said.

Mr Baldwin told ABC News he did not pull the trigger, saying the Colt revolver went off when he was cocking the gun and rehearsing camera angles with Ms Hutchins.

Investigators are trying to find where the live round came from. They said in the search warrant for Mr Baldwin’s phone that they are looking for text messages, images, videos, calls or any other information related to the movie.

The full statement from police said: “On December 20 2021, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s office was advised that the Santa Fe District Attorney was in negotiations with Mr Baldwin’s attorney to obtain consent to retrieve the phone and its contents.

“To date, the cell phone has not been turned over to authorities.”

Elsewhere, the armourer in charge of the weapons on set has sued the prop supplier, alleging his company distributed live ammunition.

Hannah Gutierrez Reed, 24, is seeking unspecified damages from prop provider Seth Kenney and his company, PDQ Arm and Prop LLC, according to the lawsuit filed in New Mexico state court.

Mr Kenney could not be reached for comment. In a December interview with ABC News, Mr Kenney denied that live rounds on set came from his company.