Alec Baldwinhas been an A-list celebrity in Hollywood since the 1980s. He has over a 40-year acting career, and has produced several films. So whenhe and his wife Hilaria Baldwin announced they were launchingtheir ownTLCfamily-based reality series, questions were asked. What brought about this sudden interest in shifting from his traditional role as a leading man to starring with his wife and 7 kids in a reality show?Jon Gosselin, anotherTLCreality TV personality who has experience with raising children under the scrutiny of cameras, has some words of warning for the celebrity couple.
Alec ought to pay special attention to the nature of the genre, even if his show is supposed to focus on his wife and children as much as it does the Hollywood legend. This is especially true as hestill faces chargesrelated to the shooting and killing ofHalyna Hutchinswith a prop gun on the set ofRust, a film in which Alec was both star and producer. The actor still faces a potential prison sentence if found guilty. He continues to maintain his innocence in the case, butreality TV is a tricky space to navigate when the subject is tied up in a legal battle.
The pitfalls of reality TV are especially obvious when you bring children onto set, of which Alec and Hilaria have seven. It is clear from the recent teaserthe family released viaInstagramthat the children and the family’s daily lives will be a central aspect of the series. It is possible the wholesome image they intend to create on theirTLC seriesis a part of a rehabilitation campaign for Alec’s public image, or perhaps a continued source of income for the family if his court battle does not end favorably. If a positive public image is the idea,TheBaldwinsshould be cautious about how alert reality TV audiences are to scenes that seem over-produced.The couple should consider the pitfalls of reality TVby paying attention to the experiences of another family-based TLC reality star, realizing that many reality TV personalities have tried and failed to present a perfect picture to the public, and that viewers are very alert to scenes by Hollywood actors that come across as over-produced.
Former TLC Star Speaks Out Against ‘The Baldwins’
Jon and his wifeKate Gosselinraised their family of 8 children on the TLC seriesJon & Kate Plus 8.After the couple’s instantaneous rise to fame, theirrelationship became strained. The series ran for two seasons, but after their divorce in 2009, it was renamed asKate Plus 8and then ran until 2017. His experience with filming the reality series left Jon with a piece of advice for Alec, telling the actor inan interview with Fox Newsto “run the other way.” Although the A-list celebrity is, of course, familiar with how paparazzi work, Jon also cautioned him against how muchpeople will be looking to catch him in any kind of scenario that might jeopardize the way he portrays his life on the series: “Why would you invite drama into your household, when all you’ve been trying to do is live, you know, a private life…”
On the topic of raising children in the public eye, Jon cautioned the celebrity couple against it, noting that the Baldwins could choose instead to use their “massive amount of wealth” to protect their children from such scrutiny.He questioned why the couple would choose to involve their children in something that they cannot consent to, saying “You’ve got to remember, you can’t quit being famous.” It is a fair point, especially considering Alec’s history with paparazzi himself. In 2012, the famous actor gavean interview withE! Newsclaiming that being followed by invasive “illegitimate” photographers was “ruining” his and Hilaria’s lives. He even asked the interviewer, “and what if I had a kid?” Alec has a contentious history with paparazzi over the years, often chiding them about respecting his privacy and occasionally getting physical with them when his requests are denied.
It begs the question again, with such a decidedly agitated viewpoint about how invasive the media will be once the new series premieres, why move forward with the project, especially considering it revolves around his children? An insiderspeaking withUs Weeklyseems to have an answer. The source claims that Hilaria has been approached for several years to participate in reality TV in one form or another, noting that with so many children who have “big personalities” theirs is the “perfect situation” for reality TV. Just as the teaser the couple released on social media promised to let viewers into the Baldwin’s home to experience “the ups and downs, the good, the bad, the wild, and the crazy,” a second insider source confirmed to the magazine that the couple views the series as an opportunity to “show the world what their life is like on a day-to-day basis.“The couple’s desire to provide a look into their world might be a bid to take charge of the public narrative.
Alec Baldwin, ‘Rust’ Armorer Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter
The charges stem from the fatal shooting of assistant director Halyna Hutchins in 2021.
Presenting a Perfect Picture Often Backfires on Reality TV
The pitfall of reality TV is that spotting the lie is half the fun, but viewers are very alert to a cover-up and the fan base can turn toxic if they feel justifiably irritated by a reality TV series that comes across as fake. AsLisa Vanderpump,reigning queen of reality TV, recently made clear during her appearance on theNot Skinny But Not Fatpodcast, viewers aren’t interested in what you’re doing,“they’re interested in what you’re hiding.“The actor’s public image may take a turn for the worse instead of better should viewers sense there is something hidden behind the picture-perfect facadeit appears from the recent trailer the Baldwins intend to project on their new series. The amount of footage that is required to edit together an interesting reality series means there is frequent opportunity for the facade to slip, and unless you areThe Kardashians, who have madefaking their way through a seasonof reality TV an art form after nearly 20 years of experience in the genre, it can be incredibly challenging to maintain control over the way the family is portrayed.
The Housewives franchise can provideseveral cautionary tales about people digging into the history of reality stars who they sense are putting on an act for the camera.Brook Ayerslearned this the hard way when he joined the cast ofReal Housewives of Orange Countyas the boyfriend ofVicki Gunvalson. His rise in notoriety brought about a confidence that led to his own downfall, when he faked a cancer diagnosis in 2016. The man was so audacious that he thought he would be able to control the narrative and earn sympathy. Instead, he had a league of internet sleuths looking into his past, includingMeghan King.Jen ShahfromReal Housewives of Salt Lake Cityis another example. The diva tried to hide in plain sight while committing wire fraud in her telemarketing business, but the extra spotlight on her lavish lifestyle from reality TV certainly did not help her case when it went to trial.
Other Hollywood Celebrities Have Tried Reality TV
A prime example where a celebrity went wrong with a reality series isSylvester Stallonein his show with his family,The Family Stallone. The series centered around the picture-perfect life that he and his wife,Jennifer Flavin, had built with their three daughters in Beverly Hills. What the series completely ignored, however, was theserious marital issuesthat were documented by the press prior to filming. By all accounts, including Sylvester himself, their marriage had been on the brink of divorce prior to filming, but in the series, all the viewers see is a united family, smiling and laughing together at all times, with Sylvester directing the scene. The actor even admittedin an interview withColliderthat when it came time to edit,the family was present in the room at all times, to ensure no footage made it into the series without their approval. While the Stallone family paints a romantic Hollywood version of their home life, for viewers familiar with the press coverage about what their relationship had been in the weeks and months prior to filming, it comes across as inauthentic.
With his legal battle, public image to maintain, and 7 children to be featured on the series, so much is on the line for Alec and his family. Although he has the confidence of a man with 4 decades of experience on set, the star should be cautious about the pitfalls of attempting to make a Hollywood version of reality TV.When viewers of the genre, including the press, get a sense that something is being covered up or hidden, it brings out the impulse to look closer. If people are less interested in what Alec is willing to show, and more interested in what he attempts to keep hidden on camera, he and his family may have gotten more than they bargained for with their TLC series.
The Baldwinsis expected to be released onTLCin 2025.The Family Stalloneis available to stream onParamount+
