The Baldwins: scandals of a big, famous family

Talking about the Baldwins is talking about movies, fame, and red carpets, but also about controversies and misfortunes that haunted them all their lives.

The family is huge. In addition to the four actor brothers, there's also two sisters and a number of celebrities among their offspring. In this gallery, we tell the story of each one of them. Check it out!

It's not easy to tell who's who among the Baldwin brothers, so here's a little help: from left to right we have William (1963), Stephen (1966), Alec (1958) and Daniel (1960).

The two women who complete the Baldwin siblings are Jane Anne (left) and Elizabeth (far right). In the photo, everyone is posing around the family matriarch, Carol M. Baldwin, who was celebrating her 90th birthday at the time.

Image: Instagram

The third generation of the Baldwins has Hailey, Stephen's model daughter and Justin Bieber's wife, as one of its best-known members.

Ireland, who is also a model, is the daughter of Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger.

After the family introductions, it's time to review the story of a few Baldwins who, for three decades, have been in the news for everything they do, especially when it's something reprehensible.

In October 2021, Alec Baldwin faced the most serious event a Baldwin has ever had to deal with. He accidentally shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins while filming the Western 'Rust'.

The prop gun was supposed to be loaded with blanks, but it carried live ammunition. While preparing for a scene, Baldwin fired a shot that killed the 42-year-old Hutchins and injured the film's director, Joel Souza.

After several months of investigation, the prosecution decided to drop the involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin. However, he still faces a civil suit from three crew members who claim they "suffered mental anguish and emotional distress by witnessing the shooting," AP reports.

Once the prosecutor's charges against Baldwin were dismissed, the production company decided to continue filming 'Rust' on a new set at the Yellowstone Film Ranch in Montana.

"The production will continue to utilize union crew members and will bar any use of working weapons and any form of ammunition," the producers' attorney announced to the press. "Live ammunition is - and always was - prohibited on set."

It wasn't the first time Alec Baldwin came in contact with the police. A few years earlier, in November 2018, he had a bad incident in a Manhattan parking lot near his home, The New York Post reported.

It happened because a friend of the actor was saving a parking space for him, but then another driver came in and put his car in the spot. Eyewitnesses told The New York Post that Alec Baldwin got out of his car and punched the other driver. He was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor.

It wasn't the first time Alec Baldwin had been prosecuted. In May 2014, he was arrested for insulting two police officers who stopped him for wrong-riding on his bicycle.

Three years earlier, in December 2011, he'd been kicked off a plane for refusing to turn off his cell phone, as reported by The Guardian at the time.

It is also public knowledge that Alec Baldwin doesn't like paparazzi. He attacked them on several occasions, and his excuse was always that they had provoked him.

In 2007 that Alec Baldwin's reputation took a turn for the worse. TMZ leaked a message from the actor to his daughter Ireland, who lived with her mother, Kim Basinger, after they had separated. The actor insulted and threatened his daughter for not answering his calls.

Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger divorced in 2002, nine years after their marriage. It was a big media divorce, mainly due to the battle for custody of Ireland Baldwin. In the photo, Vicky Green, the actor's lawyer, talks about the trial.

Another, more recent controversy involving Alec Baldwin has to do with one of his best roles. In 2016, the actor stepped into the shoes of Donald Trump for 'Saturday Night Live.' He continued to play the president for several years and won awards and applause for it. Of course, Trump himself was not amused and called Baldwin 'mediocre' on Twitter.

When it comes to his work, it is important to emphasize that Alec Baldwin is one of the great actors in Hollywood history. He's been able to take on all kinds of roles, such as a shady casino boss in 'The Cooler' (earning him an Oscar nomination in 2003) and the nutty network executive of '30 Rock' (2008 and 2009 Emmys for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series).

On the photo, he appears alongside another great star: the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.

While not a star with the same impact as his brother Alec, Daniel Baldwin has more than 50 titles under his belt. He appeared in films such as 'Born on the 4th of July' and 'John Carpenter's Vampires.' Also notable was Daniel Baldwin's appearance in two episodes of 'The Sopranos.'

What is perhaps most notorious about Daniel Baldwin is the fact that he has five children with four different women. Yes, Daniel's love life is quite chaotic.

But this is perhaps not as strange as what happened in 1998, when Daniel Baldwin ran full Monty through the corridors of the Plaza Hotel in New York, shouting his last name.

The day ended with the actor arrested for possession of prohibited substances. He was sentenced to three months rehab. It was at this time that the actor confessed to People magazine that he had struggled with addiction since 1989.

Since then, the actor has been in and out of rehab. In addition, he's been in trouble with the law. Daniel Baldwin was arrested in West Los Angeles in 2006 for possession of forbidden substances, exceeding speed limits, and driving with a cancelled driver's license.

William Baldwin was lucky to play opposite Sharon Stone in 'Sliver' (1993). The film came out right after 'Basic Instinct,' and the two actors managed to raise the bar even further, filming scenes that barely passed censorship.

Interestingly, these scenes between the two protagonists became more famous than the film's own story.

Despite hits such as 'Flatliners' (1990) and 'Backdraft' (1991), William Baldwin's fame declined over time.

Today, William Baldwin maintains a much more relaxed profile than his brothers. Married to Chynna Phillips since 1995, he is dedicated to his three children and they are a happy family.

Moreover, William Baldwin is committed to the New York arts community and works with Project Help to support the homeless in the Big Apple.

He is the youngest of the four brothers and the father of Hailey. Professionally, Stephen Baldwin is remembered for a few roles, and especially that of Michael McManus in 'The Usual Suspects' (1995).

Apart from that famous role, Stephen Baldwin has always been active in film and has more than 30 films on his resume.

Stephen Baldwin got himself a place in the spotlights hen he positioned himself as a Christian and conservative, supporting Donald Trump and criticizing his brother Alec for ridiculing the president. Several media have reported that the brothers are not on speaking terms because of their political opinions.

A curiosity is that Stephen Baldwin has the Hannah Montana logo tattooed on his arm. Miley Cyrus apparently suggested it to him, and he responded that he would get the tattoo if they let him appear in the series. The deal was only fulfilled on one side though...

If anyone thought that the controversies would stop with the next generation of Baldwins, they didn't count on Ireland! Apart from her quarrels with her parents, Ireland Baldwin has her own history of misfortunes.

Ireland Baldwin inherited the beauty of her parents. She's 1.89 meters (6.2 feet) tall and showed her talent as a model from a young age. At 16, she even appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair. But three years later, Ireland had to go into rehab for several addictions. She revealed the news to her followers on Instagram.

Ireland Baldwin made her relationship with rapper Angel Haze public on social media and in interviews. They presented themselves as an interracial gay couple.

Ireland is currently dating the artist RAC (born André Allen Anjos), with whom she lives in Malibu. She often gives impressions of her daily life on Instagram.

Ireland has also been very open about her episodes of anxiety. She helps raise awareness among her followers about matters of mental health.

By the way, whenever Ireland Baldwin uploads a more revealing photo on social media, Alec Baldwin is one of the first to comment on the publication. He gives classic dad responses.

The relationship that people expected to be most controversial in Baldwin family history, is actually working out fine: Hailey Baldwin's marriage with Justin Bieber.

Hailey Baldwin and Justin Bieber started dating after the singer ended his romance with Selena Gomez. Within two months, they were married. It all went very fast.

The couple did not sign a prenuptial agreement before the wedding, which worried both families. Yet, it seems that both have found emotional stability and are very much in love.

Before her marriage with Bieber, she had gotten into trouble a few times. She made a scene in a restaurant in New York when she tried to order a drink while being only 17. It was 2014 and Hailey made her teenage shenanigan together with Kendall Jenner.

When denied their drinks, the two models asked for the check which was about 60 dollars without tips. They took out two 20 dollar bills and threw it in the waitress' face, The New York Post reported. Despite a rep for the models denying the facts, the waitress, Blaine Morris, confirmed everything on Instagram.

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