Alec Baldwin considered plea deal, along with a reality TV show, as criminal charges still loom

As much as Alec Baldwin has insisted he was not responsible for the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, he considered taking a plea last month in the two-year-old case, which has led to critics branding him a “killer” and has put his long-heralded film and TV career in jeopardy.

NBC News, citing two sources, reported Wednesday that Baldwin and special prosecutors in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, had discussed his taking a plea deal in the October 2021 shooting on the set of the Western film “Rust.” It’s not known what charges Baldwin considered as part of a plea deal, according to NBC News.

But the talks ended when special prosecutors announced last month that “additional facts have come to light,” which they believe shows that Baldwin has “criminal culpability” in Hutchins’ death. Prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis also said that they would convene a special grand jury to consider whether to recharge Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter.

This news comes as Baldwin has made moves recently to revive his troubled career. He made a brief cameo appearance on “Saturday Night Live” last weekend, and he and his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, have publicly teased the possibility that they could star in a reality TV show about their hectic family life with their seven young children.

Alec Baldwin makes surprise return to 'Saturday Night Live'. Click on the image below to read more ↓ https://t.co/GzJyQ2gS6X

— CTV News (@CTVNews) November 13, 2023

Baldwin’s idea about doing reality TV idea is “bizarre for a guy” who could still face criminal charges, said Los Angeles-based public relations and reputation crisis expert Eric Schiffer. Going the reality TV route also appears to reflect the extent to which Baldwin’s career opportunities have become limited, as he’s been called “a pariah,” Schiffer said.

With seven young children and mounting legal bills, reality TV may offer the three-time Emmy winner the quickest, easiest and most lucrative way to get some much-needed income, Schiffer also said.

Baldwin also could be hoping to gain some positive P.R. and to even influence a future jury pool, Schiffer said. Appearing on camera with his children, Baldwin could present himself as an “endearing” family man.

“Given his challenges with the law, and the likelihood that he may still get charged, it’s an interesting choice and perhaps one that he feels may benefit him on some level,” Schiffer said.

Baldwin’s legal and professional troubles began in October 2021 when he was rehearsing a scene for the film while handling a prop gun that inadvertently held a live round. He also admitted in an ABC interview that he was pointing the gun in Hutchins’ direction, at her behest, when the weapon fired. The live round killed Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza.

Baldwin has emphatically denied pulling the trigger and said he was told by crew members that the gun was safe to use — meaning it held no live rounds.

Earlier this year, Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter after more than a year of investigation by authorities in Santa Fe County. The film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez, also was charged with involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering. She is set to go on trial in February, and faces up to three years in prison if convicted.

Baldwin faced up to 18 months in prison if convicted of involuntary manslaughter, but the charges were dropped in April on the eve of a preliminary hearing, after his defense lawyers raised doubts about whether the gun was functioning properly.

In October, the special prosecutors announced that they would take the case to a grand jury after the “additional facts” also showed that Baldwin had criminal culpability in the shooting of Joel Souza. A report, made public in August, concluded the trigger must have been pulled in order for the weapon to be fired, Variety reported.

NBC News also reported that prosecutors no longer believe that the gun Baldwin had been using on set was modified. Prosecutors also found new evidence that they believe connects Baldwin to recklessness around safety standards on the set.

The prosecutors were scheduled to convene the grand jury Thursday, but a judge on Wednesday decided to reschedule the hearing to a later date, NBC News said. People reported that the grand jury would meet in January.

In its report, NBC also aired footage from a series of never-before-seen videos recorded on the “Rust” set, which show Baldwin firing prop guns and acting in character. In one video, Baldwin is shown lying on the ground and says to someone behind the camera, “Now wait a second, I’m gonna shoot right — do you wanna go on the other side of the camera? I don’t wanna shoot toward you.”

The back-and-forth over whether Baldwin will be criminally charged has left the 65-year-old actor’s career in limbo. The three-time Emmy winner also has faced multiple wrongful death lawsuits, while he’s continued to film low-budget action thrillers that probably will go straight to streaming, if they even see the light of day.

In April, Baldwin and other members of the “Rust” crew and cast reconvened to finish principal photography on the film, which is now in post-production. Critics have said that the idea of finishing the movie is macabre, while director Souza said they wanted to honor Hutchins’ “legacy,” the New York Times said. 

Earlier this month, People reported that the “30 Rock” star and his wife, Hilaria, were “pitching a family reality show that would give an inside look at their life” with their seven children, whose ages range from 14 months to 10.

“They’re excited but would only do it if it was an authentic portrayal of who they are as a family,” an insider told People. “The kids all have such fun personalities and Hilaria and Alec know how much interest there is in their lives.”

In an interview with Kelly Ripa, for her Sirius XM show,  “Let’s Talk Off Camera,” Baldwin acknowledged that he and his wife “have thought a lot” about doing a reality TV show. The native New Yorker said he mainly wanted to do the show so that he could “stay home and work from home.”

“You know, in the old days I’d jump on a plane and go to L.A. and do a movie here or a few episodes of ‘Will and Grace’ I did for a while,” Baldwin said. He explained that he now needs “12 plane tickets” to travel with his family, given all “nannies, kids,” his wife and himself.