Alec Baldwin Says MSNBC Show Might Not Return; Contemplating Quitting Show Business

MSNBC has suspended host Alec Baldwin's "Up Late" show both last night and for next Friday, November 22 and now, Baldwin has penned a blog for the Huffington Post, writing that about his long-time stance on gay rights, paparazzi, what he says he said, and his contemplation again on quiting show business.

He writes "Whether the show comes back at all is at issue right now. My producers and I had a very enlightening and well-researched program prepared to air on November 22nd itself, dealing with John Kennedy's assassination. That show is off the air now. I am deeply apologetic to Ron Fried, who worked extremely hard with me on that show. It's heartbreaking to me that the show, meant to coincide with the actual anniversary, will not be aired that night. The show is no doubt a work in progress and one that I believe featured some interesting guests and disseminated a good deal of interesting information. But if the show dies, its fate ends up being no different than the vast majority of start-up TV programming, and so be it. We do take a small amount of pride in knowing that we beat CNN in the ratings each of our nights. (I forget who they had on at that time.)"

Baldwin allegedly confronted a reporter from a FOX TV station after his appearance in court by saying, "If you're still here when my wife and kid come out, you're going to have a big problem, you know that?" He then told the reporter, "You are as dumb as you look. You are with Fox, right?" As he was walking away, TMZ reported Baldwin "hurled homophobic slurs", including calling the reporter a "c**ksucking f*g", which Baldwin later denied, saying he said "fathead" instead of "f*g".

He defends that, writing "One is that I never used the word faggot in the tape recording being offered as evidence against me. What word is said right after the other choice word I use is unclear. But I can assure you, with complete confidence, that a direct homophobic slur (or indirect one for that matter) is not spoken. In the wake of referring to a tabloid "journalist" as a toxic queen, I would never allow myself to make that mistake again, nor would I expose my wife and family to the attendant ridicule. My friends who happen to be gay are baffled by this. They see me as one who has recently fought for marriage equality and has been a supporter of gay rights for many years. Now, the charge of being a "homophobic bigot," to quote one crusader in the gay community, is affixed."

Baldwin is well known for his portrayal of 'Jack Donaghy' on NBC's 30 Rock, and often hosts the network's Saturday Night Live. Baldwin's Blue Jasmine just hit theaters, and the actor will next appear on the big screen in Caught Stealing.

Baldwin appeared on Broadway this summer in Orphans. His other stage credits include Twentieth Century, Short Talks on the Universe, A Streetcar Named Desire, Serious Money and Loot, as well as off-Broadway's Entertaining Mr. Sloane, South Pacific, Macbeth and Prelude to a Kiss.