Alec Baldwin is in potential legal trouble again, as he’s being brought court by the family of a Marine who was killed in Afghanistan. The soldier’s relatives claim the actor falsely accused one of them of being a rioter in the January 6th attacks on the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. The family is also alleging that the performer prompted his fans to also join in on the accusations.
Baldwin is being sued by relatives of late Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum for $25 million. The Marine was one of the 13 U.S. service members who were killed in last August’s bombing outside the Kabul airport during the troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.
In the lawsuit filed by McCollum’s family, they claim the entertainer found out about the Marine’s death and sent his widow $5,000 via his sister. However, they’re now saying the seemingly nice gesture turned into a nightmare for the entire family.
In the documents, the soldiers relatives claim Bladwin went on a rant on Instagram about them after he sent the money. He commented on a picture McCollum’s sister posted of her at the Washington Monument on January 6, before the riot at the Capitol.
According to the lawsuit, the actor asked them on Instagram: “Are you the same woman that I sent the $ to for your sister’s husband who was killed during the Afghanistan exit?” The family also claims he then began exchanging direct messages with the soldier’s sister, in which he accused her of being a January 6th rioter and telling her to “own it.”
In the documents, McCollum’s family also said Baldwin even posted a photo of the Marine’s sister on his Instagram account. As a result, some of his 2.4 million followers began threatening and harassing the McCollum family online.
The soldier’s sister claims that she not only didn’t participate in the Capitol riot, but she didn’t even go to the Capitol. She added that she’s already been interviewed by the FBI and was cleared of any wrongdoing.
According to the lawsuit, the family also claims Baldwin’s social media behavior was negligent and reckless. They feel he should have known that making allegations against them in front of his followers would cause the family harm.
McCollum’s sisters and widow are suing Baldwin on several charges, including for defamation, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. They’re seeking more than $25 million in damages. The entertainer’s representatives have not yet commented on the case.
