Alec Baldwin's New Reality Show Draws Plenty Of Criticism
Photo By Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images for National Geographic

Alec Baldwin's New Reality Show Draws Plenty Of Criticism

Can we start giving awards to individuals and companies who completely fail to read the social/cultural room? Alec Baldwin and his wife, Hilaria, announced on Instagram that in 2025, we'll be meeting The Baldwins! A cool, hip new reality TV series exploring the zany family and their dynamics!

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...I'm sorry, hold on. My producer's speaking to me. ...Trial in July? Involuntary manslaughter? Who, Alec Baldwin? That can't be-- oh my God, it's true.

Necessary Context(TM): I'm going to be straight-up with y'all. I don't have the word count to properly and sufficiently detail all the controversies surrounding mainly Alec Baldwin -- though Hilaria caught some notable strays, too. (Hilaria's ongoing issues with the public are super messy, and I'm not touching any of that with a 100-foot pole.) Here's the best elevator synopsis I can offer: Alec Baldwin is currently embroiled in an ongoing criminal case involving a fatal shooting on the set of Rust, an upcoming Western movie.

Now, since there are a lot of fluid legal factors to be ironed out, I'll simply say Baldwin is the centerpiece of the murder of cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins. She was shot and killed by a prop gun Baldwin was handling. If you want a more thorough explanation of the events, The Hollywood Reporter has a phenomenal timeline you can read!

He has an upcoming trial set for July 9, 2024. You can imagine why the news of a cool, hip new reality TV show featuring Baldwin might not have gone over so well with people.

Alec Baldwin Announces 'The Baldwins' Amid His Surrounding Controversies

Predictably, a hero's welcome wasn't in the cards for The Baldwins.

The gamut of reactions went from "usual internet snark" to "I'm blisteringly angry about this, actually."

Honestly, I get it. Though I'm bound to impartiality, I will make a tiny observation. They didn't think to wait, like, a year or two at least before rolling this out? Truly, I'm floored that Rust is still releasing! If the hope was giving Alec Baldwin "good press," that ambition seems to have majorly backfired.

Also, you know, it's TLC. 90 Day Fiancé TLC. Too Fat to Transition TLC. sMothered TLC. That TLC.

Maybe they're banking on people forgetting! "What involuntary manslaughter?"