Model Hilaria Baldwin says her husband, actor Alec Baldwin contemplated suicide in the aftermath of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins’ fatal shooting after his prop gun discharged a bullet that killed her on the New Mexico set of the movie in 2021.    

In Sunday’s episode of Alec and Hilaria Baldwin’s new TLC reality show The Baldwins, the model told a friend how she recently found some text messages between them the day after the shooting.   

The manslaughter case against Baldwin was dismissed last July, but the show chronicles the lives of the couple and their seven children in the days leading up to his trial.

“He said he wanted to kill himself. He has survivor’s guilt. He goes back to that day; he wishes it were him. He would change places in a second. Halyna lost her life in the most unforeseeable tragedy.

“This is never something to forget. This is never something to not think of. This is about honouring a really incredible person for the rest of our lives and to pass on her memory to our children and our children’s children,” Hilaria, 41, said.

She added that Baldwin, 66, developed “heart problems” and has been hospitalised “multiple times” after the incident.

In the episode, the 30 Rock star also spoke about his career taking a hit.

“Opportunities for jobs have been so few and far in between because of the situation. 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,” he said of his job opportunities.

Hutchins’ family issued a statement through their attorneys on Tuesday, criticising the reality show as an attempt to monetise the tragedy and project Baldwin as a victim.

“Alec Baldwin has compounded the pain of Halyna’s parents and sister by taking advantage of his increased fame and notoriety by monetising 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 added that Baldwin never apologised to the late cinematographer’s parents and “has never taken responsibility for Halyna’s death.” She said: “Instead, he entered into a money-making deal with TLC.” The actor is still embroiled in a legal battle with Hutchins’ family and script supervisor Mamie Mitchell, who filed a civil lawsuit against the actor in June 2024. 

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