Alec Baldwin recalls severe illness, emotional toll during ‘Rust’ litigation

WASHINGTON: Actor Alec Baldwin has opened up about the emotional and physical challenges he endured following the 2021 ‘Rust’ set tragedy, revealing that he suffered from a severe medical condition that left him bedridden for eight days and caused multiple blackouts, according to People.

Speaking on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, Baldwin described the aftermath of the incident as “unspeakably difficult to deal with”. The actor was charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the accidental shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, though the charges were dismissed with prejudice in 2024.

Reflecting on the period, Baldwin said, “That was unspeakably difficult to deal with. I wound up staying home a lot. I was home with my kids for three-and-a-half years, I hardly worked at all,” according to People. He added that the ordeal significantly altered his outlook on life and career. “I don’t want to leave my house anymore. 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,” he said, according to People.

Alec Baldwin on Career Ups and Downs, ‘Rust’ Prosecution’s Toll on His Health and Future Plans: “I Want … https://t.co/Sg1mOCPugC

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Baldwin also spoke about the challenges of completing the film ‘Rust’ as part of a settlement with Hutchins’ husband, Matthew Hutchins, who had filed a wrongful death lawsuit in February 2022. “We had to go back and finish the movie ‘Rust’ in Montana as a component of the settlement with her husband”, Baldwin said, adding that the process “impacted me in every way, financially, career-wise, my wife, my kids, my health”.

The actor revealed he suffered from orthostatic hypotension, a condition linked to blood pressure fluctuations that can cause fainting. “I was really sick, I had a nerve condition that you get when you take blood pressure medication, orthostatic hypotension, where you black out,” he said.

Describing the severity, Baldwin shared, “I blacked out three times during the St. Patrick’s Day weekend of that year, and fell on top of my wife once. It was crazy. It was horrible”. He further said the condition left him bedridden. “So I get into bed. I’m in bed for eight days. I can’t get out of bed. I can’t walk. I had to go to physical therapy for two weeks,” he added, as per the outlet.

Despite his health struggles, Baldwin completed the film under pressure. “I had to get up on a horse and go back there to Montana to finish the film, or they were going to sue the … out of me. So I make it, I get there, and I don’t give the performance I want to give because I’m sick, but I did the best I could”, he said, according to People.

Baldwin also credited his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, for supporting him through the difficult period. “I told them if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have survived all of the ‘Rust’ situation, so thank you”, he said during the podcast. (ANI)