The daily gossip: Prosecutors to drop charges against Alec Baldwin, F. Murray Abraham apologizes for alleged sexual misconduct, and more

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1. Prosecutors to drop charges against Alec Baldwin in 'Rust' shooting
2. F. Murray Abraham apologizes for alleged sexual misconduct: 'I told jokes'
3. More Jonathan Majors accusers reportedly come forward
4. Hailey Bieber opens up about 'having a hard time' this year
5. Martin Scorsese didn't know who Ray Romano was before casting him

published 20 April 2023

1. Prosecutors to drop charges against Alec Baldwin in 'Rust' shooting

Alec Baldwin appears to be in the clear in the Rust shooting case just as the movie heads back into production. Prosecutors are dropping charges against Baldwin in connection with the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was killed on the set of Rust in 2021 after a gun Baldwin was holding accidentally went off, Deadline reports. The report said the special prosecutors in the case will soon file paperwork dismissing the involuntary manslaughter charges against the actor without prejudice, meaning the case could still be revived later. "We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident," the actor's lawyers said. The news comes on the same day that Rust is set to resume filming in Montana with Hutchins' widower now serving as executive producer. According to ABC News, the movie's new cinematographer, Bianca Cline, plans to donate her salary to charity.

F. Murray Abraham is offering a "sincere and deeply felt apology" after losing his job for alleged misconduct. The 83-year-old actor abruptly departed the Apple TV+ sitcom Mythic Quest last year, and a Rolling Stone report this week revealed this was due to sexual misconduct complaints after "at least two concerns were raised" about his behavior. In a new statement to The Wrap, Abraham responded to the report, claiming that "though never my intention to offend anyone, I told jokes, nothing more, that upset some of my colleagues and as a result lost a great job with wonderful people." He added that he has "grown in my understanding from this experience, and I hope they will forgive me." The original Rolling Stone report didn't detail the alleged misconduct but said the actor was "told to keep away from some of the show's actresses" after the first incident.

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Things just went from bad to worse for Jonathan Majors. Weeks after the embattled actor was arrested for alleged domestic violence, Variety reports "multiple alleged abuse victims" of Majors have come forward and are cooperating with the Manhattan district attorney's office. The Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania star is accused of assaulting a woman, who police said sustained "minor injuries to her head and neck" and who Variety's report reveals worked on Quantumania. He has denied the allegations, and his attorney said "we have provided irrefutable evidence to the District Attorney that the charges are false." Majors' lawyer previously released texts from the alleged victim in an attempt to prove his innocence, though Variety's report suggests this may have made things worse, as a source who's working with him on an upcoming project told the outlet they "basically look like the text messages of a textbook abused woman." Marvel hasn't announced whether Majors will remain in the franchise.

It's been a tough year for Hailey Bieber. The model got real with fans on Instagram by sharing that she's been "having a hard time" lately, as "truthfully since 2023 started I have had some of the saddest, hardest moments I've ever had in my adult life and my mind and emotions have been fragile to say the least." She didn't go into details, but she has been in the news this year amid an alleged feud with Selena Gomez, her husband Justin Bieber's ex-girlfriend. They've tried to downplay speculation of drama, and Gomez told fans last month to stop sending Bieber "death threats and such hateful negativity." Bieber also suffered a mini-stroke in 2022, and in January, she shared that she struggled "with a lot of anxiety" and "a little bit of PTSD" afterward. "I know so many other people feel the way I feel," she wrote on Instagram this week, "so just know you're not alone."

Everybody loves who? On the WTF podcast, Ray Romano revealed Martin Scorsese had no idea who he was before casting him in HBO's Vinyl, even though this was years after he starred in a wildly successful sitcom. "I went on tape and the response we got back was, 'Yeah, Marty likes it. He's in the running, and Marty wants to know who he is,'" Romano recalled. "He's never seen him. And my agent was like, 'So he's never seen the show?' And he goes, 'No, no, no, he doesn't know who the guy is." Romano wasn't offended, though, saying this was a "blessing because he didn't have to erase the sitcom character from his mind." Vinyl premiered in 2016, more than ten years after Everybody Loves Raymond went off the air. But the anecdote also tragically suggests Scorsese may be unfamiliar with Romano's iconic performance as Manny in the Ice Age franchise. We thought he was supposed to be an expert on real cinema.

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.