EXCLUSIVE: Alec Baldwin Settles $25 Million Defamation Lawsuit with Gold Star Family

Fallen marine's widow and sisters drop federal suit against "bully" actor for online hate and real-life harassment over Jan. 6

Nov 29, 2023

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Alec Baldwin appears to have settled the $25 million defamation lawsuit brought against him by a Gold Star family.

The actor faced legal action on four counts after directing his Instagram followers to attack the widow and sisters of a Marine killed in the Afghanistan withdrawal. You first read about the suit exclusively here when it was filed two years ago.

Attorney Dennis Postiglione represents fallen Marine Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum’s widow Jiennah “Gigi” and sisters Cheyenne and Roice.

“My clients are happy that this matter is over,” Postiglione told me by phone. “They look forward to moving on— without Alec Baldwin in their lives.”

This is the conclusion of my 12-part, exclusive series about this $25 million lawsuit. You can scroll to the bottom to read the stories from the beginning.

Court case closed

The McCollum family initially planned to replead the case after it was dismissed by a New York Southern District judge in August.

“Baldwin gets away with everything,” said Roice at the time. “He is a bully to everybody.”

However, Postiglione did not file the legal response due by Sept. 12 which would have kept the case moving forward.

Cheyenne, Gigi and Roice with baby Levi who was born after her father was killed in the Kabul airport attack

Roice, Gigi and Cheyenne all told me this week that they can’t talk about the case.

Legal experts say a settlement between high-profile parties would likely have a confidentiality agreement about the terms.

Did Baldwin pay?

Baldwin’s attorney Luke Nikas did not respond to my questions about whether his client paid the McCollum family to settle the case.

The McCollums said in the suit that they wanted to be fully compensated for their damages and to “punish, deter, and teach Baldwin a lesson that he frankly should have learned years ago.”

Alec Baldwin and his wife “Hilaria” at the time the McCollums sued him

Nikas also represents Baldwin in his criminal case for shooting and killing Halyna Hutchins on the “Rust” movie set in 2021. (I have news from the Santa Fe sheriff on Baldwin’s secret cell phone records at the bottom for paid subscribers.)

Baldwin blows

The McCollums filed the lawsuit after being subject to intense online hate and real-life harassment after Baldwin targeted the young women with his 2.4 million Instagram fans.

Baldwin shared a photo that Roice posted (above) of the Jan. 6 rally and wrote that she is an “insurrectionist.” Baldwin also privately messaged her with false accusations and a sarcastic “good luck.” See here:

Roice publicly stated that she was never in the Capitol and cleared by law enforcement.

Family under attack

“Baldwin is very politically active on the opposite side of the spectrum,” Roice said. “He has been the subject of online harassment. He knew that publishing my name with his opinion would have a serious backlash, and he did it anyway.”

The Gold Star family was subjected to death threats and hate in places like the grocery store. Since Baldwin’s posting, the McCollums have continued to be targeted with online hate. They have been called white supremacists, Nazis and told Rylee’s death was in vain.

Baldwin’s online assault on the grieving family came a mere four months after Rylee, 20, was killed at Kabul Airport by a suicide bomber. Gigi was eight months pregnant at the time.

Gigi said Baldwin’s attack was “exhausting.” She told me that while it may seem like a small thing to others, it felt like her entire life was on “blast” again.

“Alec Baldwin holds himself on a very high pedestal and believes he can get away with anything,” Gigi said when the attacks on her family were at their worst. “I just want him to know he can’t get away with tearing people down.”

J6 from Wyoming to New York

The McCollums originally filed the $25 million lawsuit in federal court in their home state of Wyoming. Baldwin fought it and won a dismissal on jurisdictional grounds.

The family then refiled in New York, where Baldwin lives. Judge Edgardo Ramos, a Pres. Barack Obama appointee, dismissed the case.

Roice McCollum with former Pres. Donald Trump at a political event

The judge concluded that Baldwin calling Roice an “insurrectionist” was not false and with actual malice. Ramos adopted Baldwin’s definition of “insurrectionist” to mean anyone who attended the protests in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021.

“I just attended a rally. I did nothing wrong,” said Roice. “He is calling me guilty without any facts.”

The judge left open the family’s ability to refile within weeks. That appears to be the time when settlement talks began.

Lessons from a Gold Star Family

“Rylee was the type of person to always root for the underdog— anyone who couldn’t help themselves. He would drop everything to help someone if he could,” Gigi said in an interview when they filed suit.

“That’s why this whole situation makes me mad. Alec Baldwin uses his power and influence to hurt people instead of helping them. I just want him to know he can’t get away with it. People will fight back.”

They will fight back and win. These brave young women succeeded in honoring the memory of a Marine hero who stood up for the underdog to his final breath.

What do you think about how this lawsuit ended? Do you think Baldwin will change his aggressive behavior on social media?

$25 Million Defamation Lawsuit Series:

Baldwin’s Secret Cell Phone Records

As I told you last week, I’ve been trying to get Baldwin’s cell phone records from the day of the “Rust” shooting. After speaking with the Santa Fe Sheriff’s new public affairs officer, she sent me a formal letter….

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