In October 2021, Alex Baldwin’s world turned upside down. Rehearsals for a scene from the now-former Western film WarThe confrontation turned bloody when a blank gun went off, killing cinematographer Hayley Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. This led to constant recriminations between Alex and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the latter of whom was tasked with overseeing the firearms on set.
Both were charged with involuntary manslaughter in January 2023, and Hannah was also convicted of the charge in March 2024. However, she was soon acquitted for evidence tampering.
Alex was newly charged with involuntary manslaughter in January 2024 and put on trial in July. However, New Mexico Judge Mary Marlowe Sommers officially dismissed the case within days. This was prompted by the defense’s argument that prosecutors hid evidence from them about ammunition on set, evidence that could very well be related to the shooting. With Alex free, let’s take a look at other Hollywood actors who have had serious run-ins with the law.
Robert Downey Jr
Being in front of the camera was nothing new for young Robert Downey Jr., as he began acting at the age of 5. However, his early years in the industry were plagued by drug abuse and erratic behavior. In June 1996, the man who would become Iron Man was arrested for possession of heroin, cocaine, crack, and an unloaded handgun while he was speeding on Sunset Boulevard.
After several such confrontations with his unwillingness to follow the law, he was sentenced to 3 years in prison in 1999. He was then released in August 2000, after which he relapsed into cocaine addiction. RDJ finally decided to get his life back on track and went into rehab. What began was one of the strongest real-life redemption arcs of a public figure. The actor is a great example of what a second (and third) chance can do for someone, provided they are committed enough. The actor won his first Academy Award this year Oppenheimerwhich celebrates one of the most important roles of his acting career.
ezra miller
Ezra Miller was about to embark on an exciting career in Hollywood, which included his work as the Flash and other projects Fantastic Beasts franchise. All of this was worsened by the repeated emergence of his violent side in the public eye. As if choking a woman in a bar (2020) or his arrests in Hawaii (2022) weren’t already enough, the fact that he intentionally dodged the police endlessly when they were attempting to put him on notice was the final blow.
Ezra was accused of grooming Tokta Iron Eyes, an 18-year-old activist at the time. The two reportedly met in 2016, when Ezra was 23 and Tokta was 12. The legal documents further allege, “Ezra used violence, intimidation, threats of violence, fear, paranoia, delusions, and drugs to maintain his influence over a young teen named Tokta”. The actor’s actions were further described as “cult-like and psychologically manipulative, controlling behavior”. Ezra was not removed from his position, however Glow After the film, his career appears to have come to an almost complete halt. In August 2022, Ezra revealed that he was seeking mental health treatment.
Mark Wahlberg
After RDJ, Mark Wahlberg offers a great example of heartwarming redemption arcs. The year was 1988 and Mark was 16 years old. He was arrested for attacking a man named Johnny Trinh. He was charged with assault and battery with a deadly weapon and possession of a controlled substance. He served half of his sentence and came out as a reformed man. In fact, Trinh has even publicly forgiven the actor for the incident. Mark debuted in films in 1993 and has not looked back since then.
Special Mention: Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp met his co-star and future wife Amber Heard in 2009. The much-in-love couple got married in February 2015. The marriage only lasted a short while, but that wasn’t the biggest rift in Johnny and Amber’s relationship. Although she accused him of physical abuse when filing for divorce in 2016, she labeled him a “wife beater” in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed, which led to one of the messiest public lawsuits of recent times. While the initial round of defamation and libel suits in the U.K. cost Johnny serious backlash, the 2022 lawsuit completely backfired on Amber.
While Amber’s side of the story was known to everyone, Johnny’s statement about the violence he suffered at the hands of his ex-wife arguably became one of the most publicised topics on social media this year. Although the ‘crimes’ involved in the Depp-Heard trial are completely different from the above examples, it is still considered by (social) media as one of the most brutal trials, which is a common practice in cases involving celebrities.
Speaking of Alex Baldwin, the actor cried and hugged his lawyers upon hearing the news of his case being dismissed. He also hugged his wife Hilaria Baldwin before leaving the Santa Fe courthouse.
He has not yet commented verbally on this development.
