Alec Baldwin Speaks Out Following Rust Shooting Case Dismissal: 'I Appreciate Your Kindness'

Alec Baldwin is speaking out after the dramatic dismissal of his involuntary manslaughter trial tied to his Rust shooting case.

Following Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer’s decision on Friday, July 12, to dismiss with prejudice the case on its third day in Santa Fe’s 1st Judicial District Court of New Mexico, the 66-year-old actor-producer expressed relief that the years-long legal drama was over in an Instagram post on July 13.

"There are too many people who have supported me to thank just now," Baldwin wrote alongside an image of himself in court.

He added, "To all of you, you will never know how much I appreciate your kindness toward my family."

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Baldwin was indicted by a New Mexico grand jury in January after the gun he was holding during a 2021 rehearsal on the set of his Western movie discharged, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.

Baldwin has since maintained that he did not pull the trigger of the gun or know why it contained live ammunition. He pleaded not guilty and, had he been convicted, faced up to 18 months in prison.

The actor’s legal team had repeatedly asked for the case to be dropped, including on July 12, when special prosecutor Kari Morrissey made the unusual move of taking the stand herself to testify about possibly suppressing relevant evidence. 

In part because ammunition that was dropped off at the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office was filed separately, “the late discovery of this evidence during trial has impeded the effective use of evidence in such a way that it has impacted the fundamental fairness of the proceedings,” said Sommer in the announcement of her decision, which prompted Baldwin to burst into tears.

Alongside his wife Hilaria Baldwin, others who supported the star throughout the three-day trial were his sister Beth Keuchler and brother Stephen Baldwin. The latter, not long before the dismissal, approached attorney Alex Spiro in the hallway outside of the courtroom and told him, "You have made us so happy. We are planning to celebrate."

On the horizon for Baldwin and his wife is a TLC reality series called The Baldwins, announced in June, about their sprawling family. The couple share seven children: Ilaria Catalina Irena, 19 months, María Lucía Victoria, 3, Eduardo "Edu" Pao Lucas, 3, Romeo Alejandro David, 5, Leonardo Ángel Charles, 7, Rafael Thomas, 8, and Carmen Gabriela, 10. Baldwin also shares Ireland, 28, with ex-wife Kim Basinger.

Rust resumed filming and completed its shoot in May of 2023.

In an Instagram post celebrating its completion, Baldwin wrote, “It’s been a long and difficult road. But we reach the end of the trail today.”