Alec Baldwin Says He Suffered From PTSD After Shooting Death On ‘Rust’ Set & Manslaughter Charges

Alec Baldwin and his wife, Hilaria, have detailed Baldwin’s PTSD diagnosis following his accidental shooting of a crew member on the 2021 film Rust.

While filming, Baldwin was waving what he thought was a prop gun when it fired and fatally shot Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza. The incident sparked much debate about Baldwin’s culpability in the tragedy. He was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter. He pleaded guilty and claimed he did not pull the trigger of the gun and his case was dismissed in July 2024. Baldwin filed a civil lawsuit for malicious prosecution and civil rights violations on Jan. 9, 2025.

In the premiere of The Baldwins – the new reality show starring the family – Hilaria and Baldwin recounted their pain following the tragedy. Baldwin bemoaned, “There were times I’d lay in bed and I’d go, ‘Wow, I can’t get up.’ That’s not like me. I’m not like that at all. Not in any way am I like that, ever.”

Baldwin told Hilaria, “I can’t even believe that we’re going through this, and I always feel more in pain about you than me, because I think to myself, ‘Well, you know, I’m going to try my best to just get through it.’ And I think what it’s done to you and how much it’s hurt you.”

Hilaria confirmed the depths of Baldwin’s sorrow, saying, “Everyone who is close to Alec has seen his mental health decline. He was diagnosed with PTSD, and he says in his darkest moments, ‘If an accident had to have happened this day, why am I still here? Why couldn’t it have been me?’”

As Baldwin recovers from the reputation blow in 2021, Hilaria is also rebuilding her following since the 2020 controversy in which she was exposed for having faked her Spanish heritage and accent.

In The Baldwins‘ premiere, she lamented, “I’d be lying if I said [the controversy] didn’t make me sad and it didn’t hurt and it didn’t put me in dark places.” 

Episodes of The Baldwins will air on TLC at 10 p.m., Sunday.