Tag Archives: Alec

Entertainment

Alec Baldwin was told prop gun was safe before fatal shooting, affidavit says

Leave a comment

Alec Baldwin didn’t know the prop gun that he fired was loaded with live ammunition and neither did the assistant director who handed it to him before the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on a New Mexico film set Thursday, a search warrant document says.

The assistant director yelled “cold gun” before the shooting that killed Halyna Hutchins, 42, and wounded director Joel Souza on the set of “Rust” at Bonanza Creek Ranch, according to an affidavit filed in a Santa Fe court.

The term “cold gun” is intended to indicate that the weapon did not have any live rounds, according to the document obtained by NBC affiliate KOB of Albuquerque and other news outlets.

The assistant director did not know live rounds were in the prop gun, the Santa Fe County sheriff’s detective wrote in the court document. It was one of three prop guns on a cart that had been set up by an armorer, it said.

The assistant director did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday, nor did the armorer.

Security guards stand near the entrance to Bonanza Creek Ranch where Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin fatally shot a cinematographer and wounded a director when he discharged a prop gun on the movie set of the film “Rust” in Santa Fe, N.M., on Oct. 22, 2021.Adria Malcolm / Reuters

Baldwin, 63, on Friday said that he was heartbroken and fully cooperating in the investigation.

“There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours,” Baldwin tweeted.

No charges have been filed in the case.

The search warrant document was filed as authorities sought to gather video, photos, firearms, clothing and other evidence. First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said Friday the case is still in its preliminary state of investigation.

Audio released Friday from a 911 call shows someone reported that two people had been shot by a prop gun on the set.

“We were rehearsing, and it went off and I ran out. We all ran out,” the caller says. “They were doubled over — the AD and the camerawoman, and the director.”

Hutchins was flown by helicopter to University of New Mexico Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Souza was taken by ambulance to a hospital and has since been released.

The search warrant document says that Hutchins was shot in the chest and Souza, who was struck in the shoulder, was behind her.

The prop gun that was involved in Thursday’s incident had misfired before on the set, sources familiar with the situation told NBC News earlier Friday.

Several members of the crew walked off the set several hours before the shooting over safety concerns, the sources said.

The production company, Rust Productions, said it was not aware of any official complaints about weapon or prop safety on set, but pledged an internal review.

Hutchins was remembered as a young and rising star.

Her husband, Matt, said that the loss was enormous and asked for privacy as the family grieves. He said he has spoken with Baldwin and the actor was being very supportive.

“Halyna inspired us all with her passion and vision, and her legacy is too meaningful to encapsulate in words,” Matt Hutchins tweeted Friday night.

The shooting stunned the entertainment world, with many asking how such a tragedy was possible. Some compared it to the 1993 death of “The Crow” star Brandon Lee, who was killed with a prop gun almost 30 years ago.

Thursday’s on-set shooting has prompted at least one other production to end the use of weapons that could potentially carry live ammunition.

The showrunner of the ABC police drama “The Rookie” said it will no longer use “live” weapons— instead using airsoft guns and adding the muzzle flashes with computers later. Airsoft guns fire plastic pellets.

“Any risk is too much risk,” showrunner Alexi Hawley wrote in a memo to staff, the contents of which were confirmed by network representatives.

Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.

Diana Dasrath

Diana Dasrath is entertainment producer and senior reporter for NBC News covering all platforms.

Hayley Walker contributed.



Read original article here

Entertainment

Alec Baldwin shooting: Star told gun was safe before firing fatal shot, as 911 call released

Leave a comment

Alec Baldwin shooting: Aerial shots of film set after prop gun misfired, killing cinematographer

Alec Baldwin says his “heart is broken” after firing a prop gun that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza on the set of his new film, authorities have said.

The movie, Rust, was being filmed at the Bonanza Creek ranch outside Santa Fe, New Mexico, and filming has been temporarily suspended.

Santa Fe County deputies were called to the scene at 1:50pm on Thursday.

Ms Hutchins was taken to the University of New Mexico Hospital by helicopter where she was pronounced dead.

Mr Souza was taken to Christus St Vincent Regional Medical Center where he underwent treatment for his injuries. He was released on Friday morning.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s office said in a statement that the pair were shot when a prop firearm was discharged by 68-year-old Baldwin, who is a producer and actor on the film, which is about an accidental killing.

Santa Fe’s top prosecutor Mary Carmack-Altwies told Deadline she had opened an investigation into possible criminal charges stemming from the fatal shooting.

“At this time, we do not know if charges will be filed,” she said.

Mr Baldwin released a statement on Friday to say he was “heart broken”.

“I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family,” he wrote in a post on his Twitter and Instagram accounts.

“My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.”

1634876606

Incident remains ‘an active investigation’, says Santa Fe County Sheriff

Santa Fe County Sheriff Juan Rios revealed: “The sheriff’s office confirms that two individuals were shot on the set of Rust.”

An investigation is underway into how and what projectile was discharged from the prop gun during the fatal incident.

“This incident remains an active investigation. As more information becomes available, updates will be provided,” the sheriff’s department said.

Deputies also revealed that they have taped off a church on the set, which was placed on lockdown, and production was halted.

Peony Hirwani22 October 2021 05:23

1634877007

International Cinematographers Guild mourn the death of Halyna Hutchins

Halyna Hutchins’ death was confirmed by the International Cinematographers Guild, Local 600.

“We received the devastating news this evening, that one of our members, Halyna Hutchins, the Director of Photography on a production called Rust in New Mexico died from injuries sustained on the set,” said John Lindley, the president of the guild, and Rebecca Rhine, the executive director, in a statement to Variety.

“The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event. This is a terrible loss, and we mourn the passing of a member of our Guild’s family.”

Peony Hirwani22 October 2021 05:30

1634877576

What we know about the victims

Halyna Hutchins was a 42-year-old cinematographer from Los Angeles.

She grew up on a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle and previously worked as a journalist with British documentary productions in Europe. After moving to Los Angeles, she graduated from the AFI Conservatory with MFA in Cinematography.

Hutchins was airlifted to a hospital in Albuquerque on Thursday (21 October), where she succumbed to her injuries.

Joel Souza on the other hand is in intensive care. He is is a filmmaker based in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he lives with his wife and two children.

Souza is the director and screenwriter of the film Rust.

Peony Hirwani22 October 2021 05:39

1634880484

Fans recall Brandon Lee’s tragic death in 1993 following Alec Baldwin shooting

Many people are recalling the tragic death of Bruce Lee’s son Brandon Lee on the set of film The Crow in 1993.

Brandon Lee died after being hit by a .44-caliber slug while filming a death scene for the movie. The gun was supposed to have fired a blank, but an autopsy turned up a bullet lodged near his spine.

“Brandon Lee, Jon-Erik Hexum, and now Halyna Hutchins. Prop guns should just be props, not lethal weapons. It’s also wrong to believe this is Alec Baldwin’s fault, but in times of tragedy, people must have time to mourn before anybody tries to assign blame,” one person wrote.

Another person added: “Have been reading about the film set tragedy this evening that took the life of talented cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins. That’s really all I wanted to say…her name. It seemed lost in the furor of Alec Baldwin, Brandon Lee and Jon-Erik Hexum references.

Peony Hirwani22 October 2021 06:28

1634882420

Alec Baldwin’s last post before the incident

Just hours before the accident took place, Alec Baldwin posted a photograph of himself on the set of Rust.

He was seen wearing dirty cowboy boots, a vest, and a bandana paired with a hat.

“Back to in person at the office. Blimey…it’s exhausting,” Baldwin captioned the (now-deleted) post.

Peony Hirwani22 October 2021 07:00

1634882635

The story of notorious outlaw Harlan Rust

Rust is the story of notorious outlaw Harlan Rust, played by Baldwin, who goes on the run with his 13-year-old grandson after the teenager accidentally kills a rancher.

Written by Joel Souza, the movie also features Travis Fimmel, Brady Noon, Frances Fisher, and Jensen Ackles.

The film was being shot on the 2,000-acre ranch, where 3:10 to Yuma, Cowboys & Aliens, and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs have all been filmed.

Peony Hirwani22 October 2021 07:03

1634884416

Fans are bewildered by what happened at the set of Rust

Fans have taken to social media to express their thoughts about the incident.

“I feel for the family of the woman who was killed on set today, the man who was injured, and for Alec Baldwin. This is absolutely tragic. Just Awful,” wrote one person.

Writer Caitie Delaney added: “Like obviously it’s the story but it is really not fair to have Alec Baldwin be the face of this tragedy. He wasn’t in charge of loading that gun. Safety on set needs to be taken so much more seriously.”

Peony Hirwani22 October 2021 07:33

1634884720

Brandon Lee’s family reacts to accident on Alec Baldwin movie set

On a Twitter account to honour Brandon Lee’s legacy, the late actor’s sister Shannon paid tribute to Halyna Hutchins.

She wrote: “Our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza and all involved in the incident on Rust. No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period.”

Peony Hirwani22 October 2021 07:38

1634886559

James Gunn pays tribute to Halyna Hutchins

James Gunn has spoken out about the tragic incident that took place on the set of Rust.

The American film director wrote on Twitter: “My greatest fear is that someone will be fatally hurt on one of my sets. I pray this will never happen. My heart goes out to all of those affected by the tragedy today on Rust, especially Halyna Hutchins and her family.”

Peony Hirwani22 October 2021 08:09

1634887210

Many have paid tribute to Hutchins on social media, including Suicide Squad director James Gunn and the son of late action star Bruce Lee.

Ellie Harrison22 October 2021 08:20

Read original article here

Entertainment

Alec Baldwin ‘Rust’ camera crew walked off before shooting

Leave a comment

Hours before actor Alec Baldwin fatally shot a cinematographer on the New Mexico set of “Rust” with a prop gun, a half-dozen camera crew workers walked off the set to protest working conditions.

The camera operators and their assistants were frustrated by the conditions surrounding the low-budget film, including complaints of long hours and getting their paychecks, according to three people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to comment.

The camera crew showed up for work as expected at 6:30 a.m. Thursday and began gathering up their gear and personal belongings to leave, one knowledgeable crew member told the Los Angeles Times.

An aerial image of the church at Bonanza Creek Ranch, near Santa Fe, N.M.

(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Labor trouble had been brewing for days on the dusty set at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe.

Shooting began on Oct. 6 and members of the production said they had been promised the production would pay for their hotel rooms in Santa Fe.

But after filming began, the crews were told they instead would be required to make the 50-mile drive from Albuquerque each day, rather than stay overnight in nearby Santa Fe.

The cinematographer who was accidentally killed, Halyna Hutchins, had been advocating for safer conditions for her team, said one crew member who was on the set.

As the camera crew — members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees — spent about an hour assembling their gear at the Bonanza Creek Ranch, several nonunion crew members showed up to replace them, the knowledgeable person said.

A member of the producer staff then ordered the union members to leave the set. She said if they didn’t leave, the producers would call security to remove them.

“Corners were being cut — and they brought in nonunion people so they could continue shooting,” the knowledgeable person said.

There were two misfires on the prop gun on Saturday and one the previous week, the person said, adding “there was a serious lack of safety meetings on this set.”

“The safety of our cast and crew is the top priority of Rust Productions and everyone associated with the company, ” Rust Movie Productions LLC said in a statement. “Though we were not made aware of any official complaints concerning weapon or prop safety on set, we will be conducting an internal review of our procedures while production is shut down. We will continue to cooperate with the Santa Fe authorities in their investigation and offer mental health services to the cast and crew during this tragic time.”

The shooting occurred about six hours after the union camera crew left.

Baldwin, the film’s star who also served as a producer on the film, was apparently rehearsing a scene outside the church of the Bonzana Creek Ranch set, according to two knowledgeable people.

The scene involved a gun fight that began in the church, and then Baldwin’s character was supposed to back out of the church, according to production notes obtained by The Times. It was the 12th day of a 21-day shoot.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were dispatched to the Bonanza Creek Ranch movie set, where filming was underway for the western “Rust,” after calls to 911 at 1:50 p.m. Baldwin was starring in the movie in addition to serving as one of the producers.

No charges have been filed, but the Sheriff’s Office said that “witnesses continue to be interviewed by detectives.”

Baldwin said Friday he’s “fully cooperating with the police investigation” into the incident.

“There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours,” Baldwin wrote Friday in a series of tweets.

Production has been halted on the low-budget movie, which began filming this month.

In an email to its members, Local 44 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, a union that represents prop masters, said the shot that killed Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza on Thursday was “a live single round.”

“As many of us have already heard, there was an accidental weapons discharge on a production titled Rust being filmed in New Mexico,” said the North Hollywood-based local. “A live single round was accidentally fired on set by the principal actor, hitting both the Director of Photography, Local 600 member Halyna Hutchins, and Director Joel Souza. Both were rushed to the hospital,” the email said.

A source close to union said Local 44 does not know what projectile was in the gun and clarified that “live” is an industry term that refers to a gun being loaded with some material such as a blank ready for filming.

Bonanza Creek Ranch has been a popular filming location for more than 60 years. The first movie to film there was “The Man From Laramie,” starring Jimmy Stewart. It also was the set for the classic “Blazing Saddles,” “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” and the popular TV show “Longmire.”

Staff writers Wendy Lee, Anousha Sakoui and Richard Winton contributed to this report.



Read original article here

Entertainment

Alec Baldwin Fatally Shoots Crew Member on ‘Rust’ Set, Authorities Say

Leave a comment

Alec Baldwin discharged a prop firearm on the set of a Western he was making in New Mexico on Thursday, killing the film’s director of photography and wounding the movie’s director, the authorities said.

The cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, 42, was killed, and the director, Joel Souza, 48, was injured around 1:50 p.m. on the set of “Rust,” said Juan Rios, a spokesman for the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office. The circumstances of the shooting are under investigation.

Mr. Rios said the shooting at Bonanza Creek Ranch, in Santa Fe County, happened in the middle of a scene that was either being rehearsed or filmed. He said the sheriff’s office was interviewing people on the set to determine how the two had been shot.

“We’re trying to determine right now how and what type of projectile was used in the firearm,” he said.

Mr. Rios said on Thursday night that the Sheriff’s Office had not filed charges against anyone in connection with the shooting.

Ms. Hutchins was flown to the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, where she later died, Mr. Rios said. Mr. Souza was taken to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe. Mr. Souza’s condition was not immediately available.

The film’s producers and a representative for Mr. Baldwin, 63, did not immediately respond to emails or phone calls on Thursday night.

In a statement, the movie’s production company, Rust Movie Productions LLC, said: “The entire cast and crew has been absolutely devastated by today’s tragedy, and we send our deepest condolences to Halyna’s family and loved ones. We have halted production on the film for an undetermined period of time and are fully cooperating with the Santa Fe Police Department’s investigation. We will be providing counseling services to everyone connected to the film as we work to process this awful event.”

On Thursday morning, Mr. Baldwin posted a photo on Instagram in his film costume, which included what appeared to be a prosthetic wound on his torso. On Friday, the post had been taken down.

According to Ms. Hutchins’s website, she was originally from Ukraine and grew up on a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle. She studied journalism in Ukraine and film in Los Angeles.

She called herself a “restless dreamer” and an “adrenaline junkie” on her Instagram profile. She posted multiple images this month from the set of “Rust,” including a video on Tuesday of her riding a horse on her day off.

In a statement, John Lindley, the national president of the International Cinematographers Guild, and Rebecca Rhine, the organization’s national executive director, called Ms. Hutchins’s death “devastating news.”

“The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event,” their statement said. “This is a terrible loss, and we mourn the passing of a member of our Guild’s family.”

The details of what happened on the “Rust” set remained unclear on Friday morning. Larry Zanoff, an armorer for films who worked on the set of “Django Unchained” and was not involved in “Rust,” said that in general, only blank ammunition — a cartridge case with no bullet — is sanctioned on a film set. Productions sometimes use prop guns, such as rubber guns or replica guns, but oftentimes they use actual firearms firing blanks, he said.

“The safety guidelines that we live by on television and movie sets prohibit the use of live ammunition on a set,” he said. A production will typically institute rules for keeping a safe distance from the muzzle of the gun, which is usually 20 feet, he added.

A statement from the New Mexico Film Office on Oct. 6 said Rust Movie Productions would employ 75 crew members, 22 actors and 230 “background talent.”

“Rust” is a movie about a 13-year-old boy who goes on the run with his estranged grandfather after the accidental killing of a local rancher, according to IMDb. The movie, which was set to be filmed this month and next month, is directed by Mr. Souza and stars Frances Fisher and Mr. Baldwin, who is also producing the film.

The shooting echoed an accident on a movie set in 1993 in which the actor Brandon Lee, Bruce Lee’s son, was shot and killed during a scene when a bullet that was lodged in the barrel of a gun was discharged along with a blank cartridge. “Our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza,” Brandon Lee’s sister Shannon Lee tweeted late Thursday.

In 1984, the actor Jon-Erik Hexum accidentally shot himself in the head and died when he was playing Russian roulette on set.

Mr. Baldwin, an Emmy Award-winning actor, has had a long career in movies, plays and television. In one of his best known roles, he played Jack Donaghy, an oblivious, domineering TV executive on the sitcom “30 Rock,” which ran on NBC from 2006 to 2013.

He also portrayed Donald J. Trump on “Saturday Night Live” with a custom-made wig, glued-on eyebrows and puckered lips. He and Mr. Trump sometimes sparred on social media.

Mr. Baldwin also has a history of run-ins with the police.

In 2014, he was arrested after he rode his bicycle the wrong way on Fifth Avenue near 16th Street in Manhattan. Officers charged him with disorderly conduct after they said he became belligerent.

In 2019, Mr. Baldwin pleaded guilty to harassment in Manhattan Criminal Court and agreed to take an anger management course in a deal with prosecutors to dispose of charges that he had assaulted a man during a dispute over a parking spot.

Nicole Sperling and Julia Jacobs contributed reporting.



Read original article here

Entertainment

Alec Baldwin fired prop gun that killed cinematographer and injured director on “Rust” movie set

Leave a comment

A distraught Alec Baldwin lingers in the parking lot outside the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s offices on Camino Justicia after being questioned on October 20, 2021, about a shooting when a prop gun misfired earlier in the day on a local movie set.

Jim Weber/The New Mexican


One person was killed and another was wounded after Alec Baldwin’s prop firearm discharged on the set of the movie “Rust” on Thursday, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s office. Baldwin is starring in and co-producing the Western film.

“The sheriff’s office confirms that two individuals were shot on the set of Rust,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release late Thursday. “Halyna Hutchins, 42, director of photography and Joel Souza, 48, director, were shot when a prop firearm was discharged by Alec Baldwin, 68, producer and actor.”

Hutchins was transported to the University of New Mexico Hospital via helicopter where she died of her injuries. Souza was taken to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center and was being treated for his injuries, the sheriff’s office said.

The two were shot just before 2 p.m. local time Thursday while filming a scene at the Bonanza Creek Ranch, according to the sheriff’s office. It wasn’t clear how the firearm was discharged, or what type of projectile may have been discharged from it, the sheriff’s office said.

The incident remained under investigation and no charges had been filed.

 A distraught Alec Baldwin lingers in the parking lot outside the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s offices on Camino Justicia after being questioned on October 20, 2021, about a shooting when a prop gun misfired earlier in the day on a local movie set.

Jim Weber/The New Mexican


In a statement posted to Twitter by the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, President Fran Drescher and National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said they were “devastated by this tragic news,” and voiced their sympathy with the victims’ families.

“This is still an active investigation and we do not yet have all the facts,” the SAG-AFTRA leaders said the union would “continue to work with production, the other unions, and the authorities to investigate this incident and to understand how to prevent such a thing from happening again.” 

According to Variety, “Rust” also stars Jensen Ackles, Brady Noon and Travis Fimmel. 

In 1993, actor Brandon Lee, son of martial arts icon Bruce Lee, was killed while filming for “The Crow” when a firearm used on set discharged a .44 caliber round, meant to be a blank, that struck his abdomen.

Download our Free App

For Breaking News & Analysis Download the Free CBS News app

Read original article here

Entertainment

Alec Baldwin spotted in Hamptons amid wife Hilaria’s latest cultural scandal

Leave a comment

Alec Baldwin was spotted purchasing a bottle of alcohol in The Hamptons on Friday amid his wife’s reignited cultural scandal.

A paparazzi photo snapped of the 63-year-old actor shows Baldwin walking down an unassuming green path in a black t-shirt and navy trousers. 

Despite Baldwin’s onscreen involvement with the upcoming Peacock series “Dr. Death,” he was noticeably absent from Thursday’s Hollywood pre-screening reception in NeueHouse Los Angeles – where many of his costars were present.

HILARIA BALDWIN CALLS HERSELF ‘MULTI’ CULTURED FOLLOWING HERITAGE SCANDAL

Baldwin appears to be keeping a low profile while he vacations with his family in the ritzy New York community following his wife’s recent Instagram post about cultural fluidity.

American actor Alec Baldwin was spotted buying a bottle of alcohol in The Hamptons on Friday, July 9, 2021.
(Maciel / BACKGRIDMaciel / BACKGRID)

On Thursday, Hilaria Baldwin shared a lengthy caption detailing a family discussion she had about being multicultural and how “there are people who want to deny others their right to belong.”

Earlier this year, the 37-year-old yoga instructor and podcaster faced criticism for misleading her fans into believing she had direct roots in Spain in past interviews and magazine features dedicated to Latin audiences, including Hola! and Latina.

HILARIA BALDWIN ADDRESSES ‘MISTAKES ALONG THE WAY’ IN NEW PODCAST FOLLOWING CULTURAL APPROPRIATION SCANDAL 

Past and recent critics condemned Hilaria’s misleading identity as an act that took away space from other celebrities who have actual ancestral connections to Hispanic and Latin American groups.

While Hilaria apologized and clarified in February that she was born in Boston and was simply raised in a household that admired Spanish culture due to her father’s undergraduate degree in Spanish literature, she has remained adamant that she feels a “deep connection to two cultures.” Her parents later moved to Mallorca in 2011, which reportedly contributed to her affinity for the Spanish language and culture.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

In her recent Instagram post, Hilaria defended her multicultural identity by writing: “We all get to curate our individual expressions of our cultures, languages, who we love, what we believe in, how we dress, present ourselves. This is the right that each person should have.”

Alec Baldwin, 63, married Hilaria Baldwin, 37, on June 30, 2012. The couple share six children together, plus Baldwin’s daughter Ireland from his previous marriage to Kim Basinger.
(Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

Representatives for Baldwin did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.

The only recent insight Baldwin has given fans during his vacation is a beach photo of one of their family dogs while Hilaria has shared several Instagram Stories, including a mermaid tail-filled pool day with her children, screenshotted quotes and tweets about acceptance and trauma, and a video of her dancing to the 1988 hit “A Mi Manera” by Gipsy Kings – where she highlighted the Spanish lyrics that say: “I want to live/Nothing more.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Baldwin’s last two public sightings were in June where he attended “The Boss Baby: Family Business” premiere in New York City and a “Summer Of Soul” screening during the 2021 HamptonsFilm SummerDocs Series, which he hosted.



Read original article here

Entertainment

‘Allen v. Farrow’ Filmmakers Fire Back at Alec Baldwin

Leave a comment

Last week, 30 Rock actor Alec Baldwin spoke out in defense of Woody Allen following the HBO premiere of Allen v. Farrow, a four-part docuseries examining the allegation that the celebrated filmmaker had sexually molested his 7-year-old adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow, in the attic of their Connecticut country home on Aug. 4, 1992.

“Who needs courtrooms or rule of law when we have trial by media?” Baldwin wrote on Twitter, alongside an article about the documentary.

Baldwin’s critique was sent out to his hundreds of thousands of followers the day after the premiere, so it appears that SNL’s Trump decided to pass judgment on the entire series after only viewing its first episode. As a whole, Allen v. Farrow includes not only testimony from Dylan, Mia, and Ronan Farrow, but also interviews with neighbors, family friends, city and state officials, and a trove of never-before-seen documents—as well as audio recordings of phone calls between Woody and Mia.

Its filmmakers, Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, were more than a little surprised by the “trial by media” allegation.

“Wow. How can he say that? He hasn’t seen the whole thing yet,” Ziering tells The Daily Beast. “I think the trial by media happened over the past three decades, Alec. Let’s see who was tried and convicted. He should a) watch the series; and b) look at the role the media played in spreading spin instead of truths, in not doing any fact-checking, in excoriating someone and convicting her [Mia Farrow] without any due diligence over three decades, and then talk to us about trial by media.”

The third episode of Allen v. Farrow, premiering this Sunday night, indeed focuses on how Allen weaponized the media against Farrow in the wake Dylan’s molestation allegation against Allen. Immediately following the news that Allen was being investigated by police, he held a press conference at The Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, where he proclaimed his love for Farrow’s college-aged daughter Soon-Yi and accused Farrow of cooking up the molestation claim out of revenge—even though Farrow had brought Dylan to a pediatrician to have her discuss the allegation, and the pediatrician independently reported it to the police.

Following the presser, Allen did cover story interviews with TIME, Newsweek, and People, and also sat down for an interview with 60 Minutes. Mia Farrow says she wanted to keep the matter private for the sake of her children and did not grant interviews at the time. Because of her stance, Allen’s narrative seemingly took hold in the media, and by extension the public consciousness, casting Farrow as a vengeful woman scorned.

“She chose protecting her family over getting the story out.”

“Woody’s story was so prominent in part because Mia elected not to talk to the media because she knew that if she did, it would just stir up the media even more, and it was already having such a traumatic effect on her family as it was, that she felt the best thing for her family was not to say anything,” explains Dick. “So she chose protecting her family over getting the story out.”

“I’d like to raise a pointed point back to Alec Baldwin: If you watch the series, it’s Woody Allen who went public with the story. It wasn’t Mia,” adds Ziering. “It was Woody Allen who called the first press conference. It was Woody Allen who got himself on the covers of TIME and Newsweek, and agreed to a 60 Minutes interview. This is the first time Mia has spoken at length on camera about this issue ever.”

Then again, Baldwin isn’t exactly the poster child for the #MeToo movement. Back in 2017, he briefly left Twitter after criticizing one of Harvey Weinstein’s alleged rape victims, Rose McGowan, for reaching a financial settlement with him. Baldwin also complained to Megyn Kelly that the #MeToo movement was targeting innocent men and joked that he couldn’t even tell whether touching his wife, Hilaria Baldwin—who is not Spanish—was now “inappropriate.” (There was also his infamous appearance in good friend James Toback’s documentary palling around with Roman Polanski aboard a yacht.)

Another character who enters the fray in Episode 3 of Allen v. Farrow is the filmmaker’s longtime lawyer, Elkan Abramowitz, who represented Allen at the time of the abuse allegation and subsequent child custody trial (another of his past clients: Harvey Weinstein). Just this week, Abramowitz was retained by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo amid a probe into his alleged cover-up of COVID nursing home deaths, as well as three sexual harassment allegations against him, two from former aides.

When I mentioned the Cuomo news to Dick and Ziering, they couldn’t help but laugh.

“Oh, dear. I guess he hasn’t seen the series,” offers Ziering. “I don’t think those episodes have aired yet, so he wouldn’t know—and neither would Elkan.”

“There does seem to be a roster of usual suspects that traffic in these kinds of cases,” she adds. “They know the playbook.”

As for Baldwin, on Wednesday night he announced that he was quitting Twitter yet again, calling it a place where “all the assholes in the United States and beyond go to get their advanced degrees in assholiness.”

The Daily Beast will be running additional conversations with Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering immediately following Episodes 3 and 4 of Allen v. Farrow.

Read original article here

Entertainment

Alec Baldwin Deletes Twitter Over Response to Gillian Anderson Post

Leave a comment

Alec Baldwin Claps Back Over Baby No. 6 Criticism

Alec Baldwin is done with Twitter after he didn’t appreciate the reaction to his most recent post. 

The actor took to Instagram on Wednesday, March 3 to share a video in which he explained he deleted his Twitter account due to the response to his tweet earlier in the day referring to Gillian Anderson “switching accents.” This follows the scandal surrounding his wife Hilaria Baldwin‘s cultural heritage in light of a Twitter thread that went viral in December. 

“Wanted to post a quick video to say that I deactivated my Twitter account today,” Alec said in the new footage. He did not name Gillian by name but explained about his perceived dig, “I just wrote, ‘Oh, that’s interesting.’ And of course, you can’t do any irony on Twitter—you can’t do any irony in the United States anymore because the United States is such [an] uptight, stressed-out place and such an unpleasant place right now.”

The star pointed out he is a “huge fan” of Gillian’s and hadn’t meant to offend her, but rather was just expressing that if people are influenced by multiple cultures, “that’s your business.”



Read original article here

Entertainment

Alec Baldwin amused by Gillian Anderson’s dual accents

Leave a comment

Alec Baldwin has something to say about Gillian Anderson using her American accent while accepting a Golden Globe Sunday for “The Crown” — a move apparently confusing for fans of her British work.

“Switching accents? That sounds … fascinating,” Baldwin, 62, tweeted Wednesday.

He was just one of many discussing Anderson’s normal Yank voice, with some hardly able to believe that the 52-year-old Chicago native and former “X-Files” star was even American.

“Just had my mind blown discovering @GillianA doesn’t actually have an English accent in real life,” wrote one fan, with another adding, “I feel so uncomfortable knowing Gillian Anderson is American and not British.”

Anderson had a lot of time to hone her Brit accent, as she spent several years living in London, and has said in the past that she often slips back and forth between accents.

“Even on the phone, my accent will change,” she told British newspaper The Telegraph in 2009.

Baldwin’s decision to bring up Anderson’s accent is possibly an attempt by the actor to slyly defend his wife Hilaria Baldwin.

The 37-year-old mother of six was called out in December for her fluctuating Spanish accent shortly before she admitted to her real name was Hillary. She was also raised in Boston, as opposed to Mallorca, Spain, as she deliberately led people to believe.

More recently, the couple shocked the public as they welcomed child number six just five months after a son, Eduardo, joined their brood.



Read original article here

Entertainment

Alec Baldwin hints Bruce Springsteen arrested because he’s a liberal

Leave a comment

Alec Baldwin thinks Bruce Springsteen’s drunk driving arrest may have been motivated by the New Jersey rocker’s liberal politics.

‘I wonder if Springsteen’s arrest [sic] had anything to do with his politics,’ the 30 Rock actor speculated on his Twitter feed on Thursday.

Baldwin tweeted days after it was revealed that the rock icon was arrested last fall by a federal park ranger on suspicion of drunken driving in New Jersey. 

The Boss, 71, was in the Gateway National Recreation Area on Sandy Hook on November 14 when he was arrested and charged for allegedly driving while intoxicated, reckless driving and drinking in a closed area.

Alec Baldwin (left), the actor who has starred in the sitcom 30 Rock as well as Saturday Night Live, suggested on Thursday that the arrest of rocker Bruce Sprinsteen (seen right with then-President Barack Obama in November 2016) may have been politically motivated

‘I wonder if Springsteen’s arrest [sic] had anything to do with his politics,’ the 30 Rock actor speculated on his Twitter feed on Thursday

The incident reportedly unfolded after the Thunder Road singer pulled over on his motorbike to take a picture with fans and accepted a tequila shot from one of them in full view of watching police.

Springsteen took 45 steps instead of the requested 18 when he was arrested on suspicion of DWI, refused a breath test and ‘strongly smelt of alcohol’, according to a New Jersey police report.

The singer’s blood alcohol level was, however, reportedly well within the legal limit.

DailyMail.com has sought comment from the National Park Service in response to Baldwin’s claim.

Springsteen (above in 2016) refused a breath test and ‘strongly smelt of alcohol’ when he was arrested in November for DWI while riding his motorbike, a New Jersey police report says

According to the report, the arrest took place near the lighthouse (shown above) in the Gateway National Recreation Area on Sandy Hook back on November 14, 2020

Springsteen has been vocal about his support for the Democratic Party. He is seen above performing at President Joe Biden’s inauguration in front of the Lincoln Memorial on January 20

Over the years, Springsteen, like Baldwin, has not been shy about expressing his left-leaning political views.

Springsteen had performed on January 20 as part of President Joe Biden´s inauguration, singing Land of Hope and Dreams in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

Springsteen has also been a frequent critic of Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, calling him ‘a con man from Queens’ who has ‘hypnotized’ and ‘brainwashed’ his supporters with ‘jingoism’ and ‘paranoia.’

The Boss was also an avid supporter of Barack Obama and his presidency.

Springsteen has also made his views known on police brutality. In 2003, he released a song called American Skin (41 Shots), which was inspired by the fatal shooting by New York police of an unarmed black man, Amadou Diallo, in 1999.

Baldwin, who is also a prominent supporter of the Democratic Party, has had his own run-ins with the law.

In 1995, he was placed under citizen’s arrest in Los Angeles after punching a photographer in the nose.

At the time, Baldwin was trying to prevent the photographer from videotaping him and his then-wife, Kim Basinger, while they were bringing home their newborn daughter, Ireland, from hospital, according to the Los Angeles Times.

In 2018, the Saturday Night Live star was arrested and charged with assault by prosecutors in New York after he allegedly punched someone in a dispute over a parking spot. Baldwin denied the allegation.

News of Springsteen’s arrest comes days after 96.4million viewers watched him star in an ad for Jeep during Sunday’s Super Bowl (pictured)

The actor eventually pleaded guilty to misdemeanor harassment and agreed to attend a one-day anger management class. 

In the days since it was learned of Springsteen’s arrest in November, more details have emerged about the events leading up to his being taken into custody.

Springsteen told a park officer he had done two shots in the previous 20 minutes but wouldn’t take a breath test before he was arrested, according to a document filed Thursday in federal court.

The officer at Gateway National Recreation Area wrote in the statement of probable cause that he saw Springsteen take a shot of tequila and then get on his motorcycle.

The officer wrote that the rocker ‘smelt strongly of alcohol’ on November 14 and ‘had glassy eyes’ and that there was a bottle of Patron tequila that was ‘completely empty.’

The report described Springsteen as ‘visibly swaying back and forth’ during a field sobriety test and said he declined to provide a sample on an initial breath test.

Springsteen ‘took 45 total steps during the walk and turn instead of the instructed 18,’ the officer wrote.

Springsteen hasn’t commented publicly on the charges. His lawyer and publicist didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday.

Springsteen received citations for driving while under the influence, reckless driving and consuming alcohol in a closed area. He is scheduled to make a remote court appearance on a date to be determined.

The recreational area is better known as Sandy Hook, the name of the narrow Atlantic Ocean peninsula on which it sits.

Drinking at Gateway National Recreation Area in Sandy Hook, New Jersey (seen above) is strictly prohibited, according to its website

A DWI in a national park is a misdemeanor federal offense, carrying a maximum sentence of six months in jail and fines of up to $5,000. Probation can also be up to five years, according to Freeburg Law (pictured above is a map of the Sandy Hook peninsula) 

The arrest was first reported Wednesday by TMZ.com and was confirmed the same day by the National Park Service.

A DWI in a national park is a misdemeanor federal offense, carrying a maximum sentence of six months in jail and fines of up to $5,000. Probation can also be up to five years, according to Freeburg Law. 

Alcohol has been banned entirely from Gateway National Recreation Area since 2019, and is prohibited from being brought onto its beaches, parking lots, park grounds, picnic areas and boating docks.

Officials with the National Park Service (NPS) first confirmed Springsteen’s arrest to DailyMail.com on Wednesday.

He was said to be ‘cooperative throughout the process’, NPS spokesperson Brenda Ling said. 

Springsteen, who previously owned a home in Rumson, a few towns from Sandy Hook, has filmed several music videos and other projects at the federal park.

Springsteen, who previously owned a home in Rumson, a few towns from Sandy Hook, has filmed several music videos and other projects at the federal park, including the cover of 1987’s Tunnel of Love

For the cover of his 1987 album Tunnel of Love, Springsteen used the park’s beach as his backdrop. Gateway was also the setting for video of his solo track ‘Brilliant Disguise’, and featured in his 2014 short film, Hunter of Invisible Game. 

It was not immediately clear why the Born in the USA singer’s arrest took almost three months to come to light but it did so just days after 96.4million viewers watched Springsteen star in an ad for Jeep during Sunday’s Super Bowl. 

The much-hyped ad was the first time the rock veteran has appeared in a Super Bowl commercial. In the two-minute clip, titled The Middle, Springsteen urged unity in America. 

‘It’s no secret the middle has been a hard place to get to lately, between red and blue, servant and citizen, freedom and fear,’ Springsteen intones, adding ‘we need the middle.’

‘Fear has never been the best of who we are,’ the Boss continues. ‘We just have to remember the very soil we stand on is common ground. So we can get there. We can make it to the mountaintop, through the desert . . . and we will cross this divide.’

The ad then ends with a dedication: ‘To the ReUnited States of America.’ 

The company has ‘paused’ the ad, meaning it now reads ‘Video unavailable’ ‘This video is private’ on YouTube.

The video has also been removed from Jeep’s Twitter but is still visible on Springsteen’s Instagram account. 

In a statement to DailyMail.com, Jeep said: it ‘would be inappropriate for us to comment on the details of a matter we have only read about and we cannot substantiate.’

‘It’s also right that we pause our Big Game commercial until the actual facts can be established.’

‘Its message of community and unity is as relevant as ever. As is the message that drinking and driving can never be condoned.’

It is unclear whether Jeep were aware of Springsteen’s legal woes at the time of production.

However, CNN’s Springsteen source appeared to suggest Jeep’s actions to pull the ad were premature, telling the network: ‘I just hope Jeep ends up looking bad in the end.’ 

Springsteen has famously shunned appearances in commercials over the course of his decades-long career.

However, his longtime manager, Jon Landau, revealed the decision for him to take part in Jeep’s ad was entirely ‘spontaneous’ and came after years of the company courting him. 

Landau told Rolling Stone the hit-maker also had a heavy hand in the commercial’s artistic direction, explaining its script was ‘substantially revised by Springsteen’, and that he also oversaw the ad’s final edit.

It was not immediately clear why the Born in the USA singer’s arrest took almost three months to come to light but it did so just days after 96.4million viewers watched Springsteen star in an ad for Jeep during Sunday’s Super Bowl. Pictured: Springsteen chugs back a fan’s half finished beer during a concert in Philadelphia, in 2012

‘He controlled every second of what you see and hear, and that’s why it feels so personal,’ Landau said. 

Jeep has not disclosed what fee Springsteen was paid for his appearance in the ad, nor has the company shared how much the commercial cost to make.

However, it’s likely to have cost tens of millions of dollars, with a 30-second spot of airtime during this year’s Super Bowl costing around $5.5million. At that price, Jeep’s 120-second add would have cost around $22million.  

Earlier this month, Springsteen also performed at President Joe Biden’s inauguration, giving a rendition of ‘Land of Hope and Dreams’ at the Lincoln Memorial. 

Springsteen opened the evening’s Celebrating America event, which was hosted by Tom Hanks.  

The Dancing in the Dark singer lives in New Jersey – close to where he grew up – with his wife, Patti Scialfa, whom he married in 1991. 

Springsteen’s reps have not yet returned a DailyMail.com request for comment on his arrest.          

Read original article here