Embattled Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin told the world he is leaving public life. In a long essay posted on NY Magazine’s Vulture.com, Baldwin revealed the public relations nightmare he went through in 2013 after being fired in November from MSNBC over accusations that he used a gay slur toward a photographer as well as claims from the network that he was difficult to work with. Baldwin defends himself as a target who was unfairly depicted as homophobic. Additionally, he criticizes MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow for pushing for his firing at the cable network, calling her a “phony.”
Baldwin did not just lose his job at MSNBC either. It should be noted that as a result of the bad press Baldwin received from his troubles in 2013, he says he lost a lucrative deal as being a TV spokesman for Capital One Bank as well as a speaking gig in Orlando that was sponsored by AT&T. Liberal New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio also stopped hobnobbing with him. :
I spent 25 years working hard for the issues I care about. When 30 Rock went into syndication, I sensed that I was going to be on TV for a bit, so I crafted my arrangement with Capital One Bank to fund my foundation for charitable giving. They paid me $15 million over nearly five years. After taxes and accounting fees, I will have given all of it, $14.125 million, to charity. After the TMZ event, Capital One did not renew my contract, although it politely said the two things were unrelated. AT&T had booked me for a paid speech in Orlando–and then canceled. WNYC lost funding for my radio show. Bill de Blasio, who apparently gets his news from TMZ, too, distanced himself from me.
Breitbart News previously reached out to Capital One for comment and did not receive a response.