Alec Baldwin may be embracing a quieter life focused on family, but insiders claim the emotional and physical strain of raising seven young children while navigating the aftermath of the “Rust” tragedy is taking a serious toll on him.
The movie star has also opened up about how deeply the incident affected his health, career, and personal life, while ongoing legal battles continue to keep the devastating shooting in the spotlight.
Friends reportedly fear that the pressure of balancing fatherhood, stress, and lawsuits may be becoming overwhelming for Alec Baldwin.
The 68-year-old actor, who shares his children with his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, has largely stepped away from Hollywood following the fallout surrounding the “Rust” shooting incident and is now focused on family life.
“Alec has been running on empty for years,” an insider told a news outlet. “And now he likes to take on the lion’s share of child-minding, allowing Hilaria time and space to do her own thing, especially as she’s got plenty of work projects and other passions that take up so much of her time.”
The couple also prefers not to depend heavily on nannies, leaving the former “Match Game” host with “his hands full, literally morning till nightfall.”
This has reportedly left Alec looking like an “exhausted zombie with bags under his eyes 24/7.”
The Actor Is Still ‘Very Affected’ By The ‘Rust’ Shooting Incident
Those close to Alec now claim that the parenting pressure has only intensified following the aftermath of the tragic “Rust” shooting incident.
The actor was charged with involuntary manslaughter after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot on set in 2021, though the case was later dismissed due to the prosecution withholding key evidence from the defense.
Despite the criminal case being over, Alec has yet to recover from the negative toll it took on his life, with a source noting that he is “very affected still by the tragedy.”
“It’s a dark cloud that hangs over his head and still weighs him down terribly,” the source added, per reports.
Alec Baldwin Says ‘Rust’ Tragedy Took ’10 Years’ Off His Life As He Admits He No Longer Wants To Work
Speaking on the “Dopey: On the Dark Comedy of Drug Addiction” podcast, Alec admitted the experience changed nearly every aspect of his life.
“I can tell you, [the ‘Rust’ tragedy] broke every nerve in my body, spiritually, financially, work-wise, my career, my wife, my kids, my friends, my health,” he said, adding that the ordeal has “taken at least 10 years off my life.”
In another interview on “Awards Chatter,” Baldwin reflected on how dramatically his priorities shifted after the incident. He explained that he spent years mostly at home with his children and became deeply attached to that routine.
“I was home, and I got used to it, and I don’t want to leave my house anymore,” he confessed. “I don’t. I don’t want to work anymore. I don’t. I really don’t. I want to retire and stay home with my kids.”
The Actor Says He Felt Forced To Return To ‘Rust’ As New Lawsuit Heads Toward Trial
Alec also revealed that returning to complete “Rust” in Montana was not an easy decision. According to the actor, finishing the movie became part of a legal agreement tied to the settlement with Hutchins’ family.
He claimed producers would have pursued legal action against him had he refused to return to set, despite ongoing health concerns at the time.
At the same time, Alec is still facing ongoing legal challenges connected to the tragedy. A judge recently ruled that a civil lawsuit tied to the “Rust” shooting incident can move forward toward trial.
As reported by The Blast, the case was brought by lighting technician Serge Svetnoy, who alleges that Alec and the film’s production team failed to follow proper firearm safety procedures on set.
Svetnoy claims he was standing close to Hutchins, only a few feet away behind a monitor, while Alec rehearsed a cross-draw maneuver when the revolver discharged.
In the lawsuit, Svetnoy argued there “was no reason for a live bullet to be placed in that .45 Colt revolver or to be present anywhere on the Rust set,” calling the weapon a “lethal threat to everyone in its vicinity.”
Alec Baldwin Faces Renewed Scrutiny As ‘Rust’ Lawsuit Claims Crew Member Narrowly Escaped Death
The filing further alleges that after Hutchins was shot, Svetnoy rushed to assist her and remained by her side for roughly 20 to 30 minutes until paramedics arrived.
According to the lawsuit, he later realized just how narrowly he escaped being struck himself.
“He realized that he had been squarely in the zone of danger posed by the loaded weapon in Defendant Baldwin’s hand, and what he felt pass by him from the discharge of the Colt Revolver was not mere pressurized air,” the lawsuit read. “But for an inch or two, possibly less, that bullet could have ended his life.”
The lawsuit also claims the scene being rehearsed did not require Alec to fire the revolver at all, while emphasizing that the weapon should not have contained live ammunition under any circumstances.