Alec Baldwin Finds 'Inner Peace' in Morning When It's 'Totally Silent': 'I Spend That Time with God'

Alec Baldwin Finds ‘Inner Peace’ in Morning When It’s ‘Totally Silent’: ‘I Spend That Time with God’

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“I find that the silence strengthens me and helps me get focused for the day,” he says

Alec Baldwin Finds ‘Inner Peace’ in Morning When It’s ‘Totally Silent’: ‘I Spend That Time with God’

Alec Baldwin attends the World Premiere of National Geographic Documentary Films’ ‘The First Wave’ at Hamptons International Film Festival on October 07, 2021 in East Hampton, New York.

Alec Baldwin is opening up about how he is finding inner peace lately.

The 63-year-old actor shared an Instagram post early Wednesday morning reflecting on his routine to start the day, meditating and basking in silence amid everyday life that can be “at times very stressful.”

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His caption was shared alongside a photo that showed a ray of light cast on a countertop that he said is “the rainbow in my bathroom.”

“The Beauty in Silence,” Baldwin, who shares six young kids with wife Hilaria, began. “My favorite part of the day is early in the morning when I get up before anyone else and the house is totally silent. I spend that time with God, and I find that the silence strengthens me and helps me get focused for the day. I spend some time just sitting and enjoying it.”

He continued, “Our world today is very noisy, busy, and at times very stressful. When you feel stressed or frustrated, go somewhere that is silent and just enjoy if for a few minutes; I believe you will find that your soul begins to calm down.”

The Boss Baby actor said “inner peace and quiet” are both “vital for hearing from God or sensing the direction He wants us to take.” Baldwin added, “Outer silence helps promote inner silence. Learn to love silence and you will be more inclined to hear the still, small voice of God.”

The meditative post comes days after Baldwin’s lawyer confirmed to PEOPLE that he voluntarily turned over his cell phone in compliance with a search warrant in the Rust investigation.

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Baldwin was holding the gun that discharged on the Western film’s New Mexico set, fatally shooting 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on Oct. 21.

In December, Baldwin gave an emotional first interview since the tragedy, telling ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos that he thinks it’s “unlikely” he’ll personally face criminal charges, adding that he continues to cooperate in investigations.

“I don’t have anything to hide,” he said at the time.

Added Baldwin, “I want to make sure that I don’t come across like I’m the victim, because we have two victims here. All of what happened that day leading up to this event was precipitated on one idea, and that idea is that Halyna and I had something profound in common. That is we both assumed the gun was empty, other than those dummy rounds.”

RELATED VIDEO: Alec Baldwin Says Wife Hilaria Gave Him ‘a Reason to Live’ After First Interview Since Rust Tragedy

Baldwin said in a video posted on Instagram New Year’s Day that he has been consulting spiritual advisors as he copes after the on-set tragedy.

“One thing I do want to consider very carefully in this coming year and to really push myself is in terms of trying to not allow the negativity in my life to affect me,” he explained at the time. “I’ve been having some very interesting phone calls with some very interesting people who I will not name, but some of them rather well-known people who deal in all kinds of behavioral, philosophical, religious, spiritual, meditation, all kinds of ways to attain a state of mind where you really short-circuit a lot of the negative in your life. And that’s what I want.”

Alec Baldwin takes his children to New York’s Museum of Natural History

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Alec Baldwin was seen taking his children to the Museum of Natural History in New York on Tuesday - only to discover it was closed.

The actor, 63, who is currently under investigation after shooting and killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of his film Rust in October, was joined by his sons Rafael, six, and Leonardo, five, for the outing before it was cut short.

Alec cut a casual figure in a navy blue padded jacket and jeans as he joined his sons for a trip into the city, after it was revealed on Friday he had finally handed over his phone to police to aid in their investigation.

Disappointing: Alec Baldwin was seen taking his children to the Museum of Natural History in New York on Tuesday - only to discover it was closed

Alec sported a burgundy face mask as he accompanied his sons to the Museum, unaware it is only open from Wednesday to Sunday.

The 30 Rock star shares six children with his wife Hilaria - Carmen, eight, Rafael, six, Leonardo, five, Romeo, three, Eduardo, one, and Lucia, 10 months.

On Friday, Alec’s lawyer Aaron Dyer confirmed his cell phone had been handed over to authorities in Suffolk County, New York, close to where he lives.

Low-key: The actor, was joined by his sons Rafael, six, and Leonardo, five, for the outing before it was cut short

It is being sought by Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza and his investigators probing the death of Halyna Hutchins, 42, on the set of Baldwin’s western Rust in Bonanza City, New Mexico, on October 21 last year.

Suffolk County cops have been coordinating with their colleagues in Santa Fe, with the device now set to be passed to them imminently.

Dyer told Deadline: ‘Alec voluntarily provided his phone to the authorities this morning so they can finish their investigation.

‘But this matter isn’t about his phone, and there are no answers on his phone. Alec did nothing wrong.’

He continued: ‘It is clear that he was told it was a cold gun, and was following instructions when this tragic accident occurred.

‘The real question that needs to be answered is how live rounds got on the set in the first place.’

Drama: On Friday, Alec’s lawyer Aaron Dyer confirmed his cell phone had been handed over to authorities in Suffolk County, New York, close to where he lives

Baldwin has not been charged with any crime, and denies wrongdoing. Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department first issued a warrant for the phone on December 16.

District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said investigators probing the tragedy wanted to ‘obtain any materials’ from Baldwin’s phone that could uncover what led to the shooting.

Hutchins was a married mother of one. Director Joel Souza, 48, was also shot during the accident, but recovered from his injuries.

During a tear-stained interview with ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos in December, Baldwin said the shooting happened when he was working with Hutchins on how to position a gun for a scene they were about to shoot.

He said he pulled back the hammer and released it, prompting the gun to fire. Production of the western was canned after the shooting, with allegations of cost-cutting and poor safety practices made against its crew.

Speaking on ABC News, Baldwin said: ‘The best way, the only way, we can honor the death of Halyna Hutchins is to find out the truth.

‘That’s what I’m working toward, insisting on, demanding that the organizations involved in this investigation do everything in their power, everything in their power, to find out what really happened. That’s all that matters.’

Family of Wyoming Marine killed in Afghanistan suing Alec Baldwin for defamation, privacy invasion

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Neither Crayton nor McCollum’s other sister, Cheyenne, were reportedly at the capitol on Jan. 6.

The complaint, filed Monday in federal court, states that Baldwin commented on the Instagram post from his account, saying, “Are you the same woman that I sent the $ to for your sister’s husband who was killed during the Afghanistan exit.” That comment appears to have been deleted.

Screenshots included in the lawsuit show Baldwin later messaging Roice McCollum privately, accusing her of being a “January 6th rioter” and saying that her actions resulted in property destruction and the death of an officer. According to the same exhibits, McCollum responded that she was protesting legally and had already met with the FBI.

“I reposted your photo,” Baldwin messaged her, according to the complaint. “Good luck.”

In Baldwin’s repost of McCollum’s photos, he said that claims of a non-violent protest at the Capitol that day were “bulls***” and commented that “truth is stranger than fiction” in reference to seeing the photos. He also stated he would take the post down the next day. It was not available on Tuesday.

Official: Alec Baldwin surrenders phone for shooting probe

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SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Alec Baldwin has surrendered his cellphone to authorities as part of the investigation into a fatal shooting on a New Mexico film set last fall, a law enforcement official said.

Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Juan Rios said Baldwin’s phone was turned over Friday to law enforcement officials in Suffolk County, New York, who will gather the information from the phone and provide it to Santa Fe County investigators, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.

Sheriff’s office investigators in December obtained a search warrant for the phone’s contents in their investigation into the Oct. 21 shooting on the “Rust” film set at Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe.

Baldwin was an actor and co-producer, and the search warrant for his phone sought text messages, images, videos, calls or any other information related to the movie.

Authorities have said Baldwin’s prop revolver discharged a live round during a rehearsal, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.

Baldwin’s lawyer, Aaron Dyer, said his client had been cooperating with authorities throughout the course of the investigation, and the delay in providing information from the phone was no indication otherwise.

“Alec voluntarily provided his phone to the authorities this morning so they can finish their investigation,” Dyer said Friday in a statement. “But this matter isn’t about his phone, and there are no answers on his phone.”

Baldwin, who has denied any wrongdoing in the shooting, and said in an Instagram message on Jan. 8 that New Mexico needed to go through New York law enforcement and that the process of specifying exactly what is needed took time.

“They can’t just go through your phone and take your photos, or your love letters to your wife, or what have you,” he said.

Baldwin has said he didn’t know the gun he was holding contained a live round when it went off. Investigators are trying to find the source of the live round.

No charges have been filed in the shooting.

This story has been corrected to show that the fatal shooting occurred on Oct. 21, not Oct. 11.

The angst and anguish of Alec Baldwin

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In August, actor Alec Baldwin came to the lawn of our church in Orient. He held the inaugural conversation in our series called “Spirituality in the light of …” His topic was “Spirituality in the light of COVID.”

Baldwin hit a kind of lecture-circuit home run that evening. The roughly 100 people who came for the celebrity appeal left with a new friend. Baldwin could easily have behaved badly in this Norman Rockwell scene. He did just the opposite. He knew nothing of sarcasm or condescension. Instead, he seemed like a regular guy who had come to do a friend (me) a favor and talk about how he sees God and faith in the COVID-19 mess.

I was the new pastor at the Orient Congregational Church and had known Baldwin in Greenwich Village, where I was also a pastor at Judson Memorial Church, where we met.

On Oct. 21, two months after his talk in Orient, Baldwin accidentally fatally shot a cinematographer on the set of the movie “Rust.”

Baldwin, that day, again moved out of the role of complex celebrity and into the role of human. Yes, the police think he has an anger management problem. Yes, the paparazzi attack his wife for her name. Yes, he impersonated the former president on Saturday Night Live. And yes, he played a famous buffoon from high up in Rockefeller Center. He has an edge. And when that terrible accident happened, he could only say, I’m so sorry.

If we ever do get to the bottom of what happened, that will be great. There are many theories that have led to much speculation. The truth is better than conjectures. Even if he is not charged, he will have to deal with the death of the cinematographer for the rest of his life. How does anyone do that, much less do it while being observed as a celebrity?

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I don’t write to defend my friend — who doesn’t need to be protected. Nor do I write to accuse him. I write to understand what you do after something like that happens to you. How do you talk to your children about it? I write to understand spirituality in the light of accidental death. I write to understand how much pity celebrities dare have and how much they are to be given. Whose story is this? The one killed or the killer?

An old friend ran over his 2-year-old child. The child died. He has never forgotten, nor have I. He is not a celebrity.

Baldwin belongs to that group of people who get to live through and off their celebrity. It is a blessing and a burden. Maybe I will invite him over again to speak about this struggle.

Lots of celebrities join ordinary people in having crosses to bear. Maybe Baldwin will get out of the kitchen because he can’t stand the heat. Maybe he will teach us a lesson in how to bear burdens.

I pray that he will use his angst to turn his trouble into art. The shame-and-blame culture doesn’t think very well spiritually or artistically. We think if we can just find out who shot the bullet, or who is to blame, then we will have solved the problem, whatever it is. That kind of thinking makes for bad art as well as bad politics.

And we don’t need any more of either.

This guest essay reflects the views of Rev. Donna Schaper, the pastor at the Orient Congregational Church.