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Alec Baldwin's wife, Hilaria Baldwin, has revealed that the actor struggled deeply after the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust in 2021. According to Hilaria, Baldwin experienced severe survivor's guilt, health issues, and even contemplated suicide in the aftermath of the incident.
"I found these text messages the other day between us the day after (the shooting). And he said he wanted to kill himself," Hilaria shared on an episode of their TLC reality show The Baldwins. "He has survivor's guilt. He goes back to that day; he wishes it were him. He would change places in a second."
The 66-year-old actor has reportedly been hospitalized multiple times due to heart problems following the tragedy. Hilaria added that Baldwin has been diagnosed with PTSD. "Everyone who is close to Alec has seen his mental health decline," she said.
The show, which follows the lives of the couple and their seven children, also documents Baldwin's career struggles after the shooting. "Opportunities for jobs have been so few and far in between because of the situation," Baldwin admitted. "A lot of people cut my throat in this business. I've accepted the fact that I can't be as picky and finicky as I've always been."
However, the reality show has been met with sharp criticism from Hutchins' family, who accused Baldwin of using the tragedy for financial gain. "Alec Baldwin has compounded the pain of Halyna's parents and sister by taking advantage of his increased fame and notoriety by monetizing it in a TLC reality show, where he takes on the role of victim after he shot and killed Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust," said attorney Gloria Allred, who represents Hutchins' parents Olga Solovey and Anatolii Androsovych, and her sister Svetlana Zemko.
Allred also stated that Baldwin has never apologized to Hutchins' parents and "has never taken responsibility for Halyna's death," adding, "Instead, he entered into a money-making deal with TLC."
Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter case was dismissed in July 2024 after a judge ruled that authorities had withheld evidence favourable to his defence. However, the film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in March 2024.
The legal battles are not over, as Baldwin still faces a civil lawsuit filed by Hutchins' family and Rust script supervisor Mamie Mitchell, who sued him in June 2024. Allred questioned whether the reality show was a "shameless attempt to portray him as the real victim in this case."
