Alec Baldwin has defended posting a caption on a photo of his wife Hilaria Baldwin and their son that fans branded “sexually suggestive”.

Alec Baldwin has defended posting a caption on a photo of his wife Hilaria Baldwin and their son that fans branded ‘sexually suggestive‘

Alec Baldwin has defended posting a caption on a photo of his wife Hilaria Baldwin and their son that fans branded ‘sexually suggestive‘

In the actor’s first Instagram post since it was announced he faces an involuntary manslaughter charge over the fatal shooting on the set of ‘Rust’, the 64 year old posted alongside an image of Leo, six, giving Hilaria a back rub: “The old ‘let me give you a back rub’ ploy.”

A flood of fans attacked the caption, with one calling it “pretty f****** weird” and another saying it was “disgusting”, while another critic said: “SexuaIizing children is always so weird but your own child? Yikes.”

Alec later added the phrase to the caption: “Potato chips to follow”, in an apparent reference to how Leo’s back rub was going to earn him crisps.

He also said on Sunday (22.01.23) in the comments section alongside the photo: “I adjusted the text. I guess because...you know...there is so much of that Reddit trash out there.”

The ‘30 Rock’ actor and Hilaria, 39, who have seven children together, have been targeted by theories on Reddit that she never carries their children when she is pregnant, and in August 2022 she defended herself against online rumours her baby bump was fake.

It was last week announced Alec is facing an involuntary manslaughter charge over the fatal shooting of ‘Rust’ cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 41, on the New Mexico set of the western in October 2021.

Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said in a statement last week the film’s armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed will also face the same charge, which carries a maximum sentence of 18 months in jail.

She said: “On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice.”

An attorney for Alec called the charge against his client “a terrible miscarriage of justice” and added: “Mr Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun – or anywhere on the movie set. He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds.

“We will fight these charges, and we will win.”

Alec has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing over the shooting and insisted he had been handed a “cold” gun – meaning it was unloaded and safe.

The actor previously insisted he did not pull the trigger when Halyna was shot, but the FBI tested the weapon and later issued a report which concluded it would not have fired if someone hadn’t pulled the trigger.