Hilaria Baldwin Reveals The ‘Extraordinarily Difficult’ Impact ‘Rust’ Shooting Had On Her Children

Former yoga instructor Hilaria Baldwin is opening up on the impact the “Rust” shooting had on her seven children.

She shares three daughters and four sons with “30 Rock” actor Alec Baldwin. The actor was involved in a fatal shooting in October 2021, when a gun that he was holding on the set of “Rust” went off, striking and killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

In the first episode of their TLC reality series, “The Baldwins,” Hilaria opens up about the impact that the “Rust” shooting had on her family. The “Beetlejuice” actor faced 18 months behind bars if convicted of involuntary manslaughter charges; however, the case was dismissed on the third day of witness testimony after a witness revealed that the prosecution knew about evidence that had not been disclosed to the defense.

Hilaria and Alec tied the knot in 2012 and have since welcomed seven children together: Carmen Gabriela, 11, María Lucía Victoria, 3, and Ilaria Catalina Irena, 2, as well as four sons Rafael Thomas, 9, Leonardo Ángel Charles, 8, Romeo Alejandro David, 6, and Eduardo "Edu" Pao Lucas, 4. In the first episode, she makes it clear that she doesn’t want her children to have to “bear the burden” of the “Rust” shooting.

With news of their father’s trial and possible incarceration splashed across the headlines, Hilaria had difficulty preparing her children emotionally for the trial, which took place in July 2024, years after the October 2021 shooting.

"We're blessed to have them, and they give us joy. And at the same time, we want to make sure that they're always our children, and that they can be children, and that they don't bear the burden of having to carry us," she said in the premiere, in comments transcribed by Peoplemagazine. "When something bad happens, there is a fire, and your job is to try not to let the fire spread. But I wanted to put as much as I could a fireproof barrier around my kids."

"It's extraordinarily difficult when you feel so horrible inside and so scared and confused because you have this constant nausea here, the panic, the inability to sleep," she continued. "This trial is happening, and Alec could go to prison.”

In a confessional, Hilaria reflected on Halyna Hutchins, who left behind a husband and a young son who was around the same age as her own children when his mother lost her life in the fatal shooting.

"Life will forever be different. Halyna lost her life in the most unthinkable tragedy, a son lost his mom," Hilaria said. "We are going to feel and carry this pain forever. This will be a part of our family story.”

“I look at the kids, and I see how hard we're trying to create happy for them, even if we're masking stuff for ourselves," she continued. "I know that what we're going through is maybe unique, but every family goes through hard times, and that's something that we can feel a community of support, knowing that the best that we can do is do our best and try to make our kids happy, and so that's what we're doing.”

The actor talked about the challenges of raising a big family with Peoplemagazine in January 2018, claiming that the children are much more attached to their mother.

“Being a father can be very challenging because kids are obsessed with their mothers,” the actor said at the time. “I’m in a room with my kids and I’m doing really well until my wife walks in! They just dump me.”

“That’s just how it is — there’s nothing I can do about it!” he continued. “My advice for new dads: If your wife is a great mommy, appreciate that and enjoy that. That’s a great thing to have.”

In one scene shown in “The Baldwins,” Alec and Hilaria discuss the actor’s obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and the difficulties that can come with raising a large family.

"Alec has OCD. People throw the term OCD around, very casually," she says. "'Oh my God, I love to have my closets so organized. I'm so OCD.' OCD is a real thing that's really hard."

"Five or more kids is like the breaking point. It's like constant attacks on the tidiest problem," Alec adds. Hilaria previously told Vogue that she limits their screen time and encourages them to complete creative activities together.

"Fostering their closeness is one of my main focuses in being their mother,” she said. “I hope they will always be lifelong best friends."