The Sad Reality Of Stephen Baldwin's Life Today

One of the great tragedies of the Baldwin family is how differing political ideologies created a rift between Stephen and Alec Baldwin — Stephen is a staunch Donald Trump supporter, whereas Alec is decidedly not. In a 2017 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Stephen discussed how being on opposite sides of the political divide had severely impacted his relationship with Alec, admitting, "I haven't spoken to him since the election. That's the truth. That is by his choice." Stephen also admitted that he wasn't thrilled about his big bro mocking Trump on "Saturday Night Live."

Several years earlier, Stephen insisted that he and Alec wouldn't let politics destroy their bond, which made the once close siblings' falling-out even sadder. "I don't think there's any way to kind of disengage the DNA of the love of brothers," he acknowledged to Fox News in 2013. Stephen seemed to prove this himself in 2024 since, despite their ongoing political feud, Stephen showed up at Alec's "Rust" trial to publicly support his sibling, and they were even photographed embracing in the courtroom.

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Stephen previously shared a post on Instagram after Alec accidentally shot and killed "Rust" crew member Halyna Hutchins in 2021. "Asking for prayers tonight friends not much can be said other than please pray for all involved in the wake of this tragic accident thank you," it read. In recent years, Stephen has had to witness other family members experiencing hardship, while he's also grieved and grappled with financial difficulties. 

In 2022, Stephen Baldwin's daughter Hailey Bieber had to be hospitalized after a blood clot in her brain caused the model to suffer a mini-stroke. "Definitely the scariest moment of my life," she later confessed in an Instagram video. Her father was also understandably worried for Hailey as she recovered from her health scare. "Been on my knees before my God as much as possible [...] every day," Baldwin wrote on Instagram. He thanked his followers for praying for Hailey and asked them to keep Justin Bieber in their thoughts as well (the singer was diagnosed with COVID one month earlier, which forced him to reschedule some tour dates).

Baldwin sent out another prayer request in 2024 amid rumors that Hailey and Justin were headed for divorce. On his Instagram Story, the actor shared a post by minister Victor Marx: "Christians, please when you think of Justin & Hailey, take a moment to offer a little prayer for them to have wisdom, protection and to draw close to the Lord," (via Page Six). TMZ warned that the actor risked putting a strain on his relationship with Hailey when he re-posted the cryptic message, which further fanned the flames of speculation about her marriage. 

Insiders informed the outlet that Hailey was upset with her dad because she and Justin were dealing with an undisclosed problem, and they didn't want the public to know about it.

Days before Stephen Baldwin helped get the word out that Hailey and Justin Bieber were in desperate need of prayers, he faced another family crisis. According to a police report obtained by Page Six, his other daughter, Alaia Baldwin Aronow, was arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including assault and battery, for her behavior at a bar in Georgia. Alaia's mini crime spree allegedly began with a gross action that Stephen didn't bother asking his fans to pray about: Hurling a used tampon at a bartender. When bouncers attempted to remove Alaia from the premises, she reportedly attacked them, which was captured by a surveillance camera. Per the report, "The video clearly shows [Alaia] grabbing and pulling [the bouncer's] hair and hitting [a second bouncer] in the genitals." She also confirmed that the tampon claim was true.

Stephen didn't publicly address his daughter's legal woes, but two weeks after her arrest, he did share an Instagram video of himself getting emotional over another family member. The actor revealed that he had just left his wife, Kennya Baldwin, at the airport and was already missing her so much that it was making him cry. Instead of sympathizing with Stephen or praising him for sharing his vulnerable, more sensitive side, some of the actor's followers mocked his tears. "Best acting he has ever done," one person wrote. "People who cry into the camera are a different breed of cringe," another comment read.

There was a time when Stephen Baldwin could easily get cast in movies that were critically acclaimed — his breakout role was in the hit 1995 crime thriller "The Usual Suspects." Baldwin also landed roles in several movies that had zero chance of winning any prestigious awards, but you're probably aware that they exist, at least — this dubious category includes "Bio-Dome" and "The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas." But as the years ticked on, the titles became far less likely to appear on the marquees of major movie chains. Baldwin's 2021 movies "Blood Pageant" and "Red Prophecies" have respective ratings of 2.4 and 1.9 on IMDb. The actor reckons that the quality of work he can get has changed since Baldwin became an outspoken Christian. 

In a 2022 interview with CBN, he revealed that it was the September 11 terrorist attacks that made him turn to religion. Baldwin's wife was already a practicing Christian, so he followed her lead. Of what this purportedly cost him, the actor asserted to The Hollywood Reporter, "There are many in Hollywood who are unwilling to work with me. That's not a guess. Casting people and producers have told me that they've brought up my name in a room and the response was, 'No way, we're not bringing that guy and his Bible over here.'" In fact, Baldwin believes his Christianity has made him more of an outcast in Hollywood than his controversial politics. 

Stephen Baldwin lost all of his money in the late aughts. After the actor's debts piled up to the point that they became unmanageable, he filed for bankruptcy in 2009. As Forbes noted, the "Usual Suspects" star was lucky to remain a free man due to his significant unpaid tax bills. Starting in 2008, Baldwin failed to fork over the money he owed the State of New York for three years, accruing around $400,000 in back taxes. While the actor scored a pretty sweet plea deal and eventually got out of debt to the government, he never fully financially recovered from those years of living beyond his means. 

In 2017, Baldwin's home in Rockland County, New York, was foreclosed on and auctioned off after he and his wife defaulted on their mortgage. A source disclosed to Radar Online that Stephen hoped to borrow more than $1 million from Alec Baldwin to save the house, but his older brother wouldn't bail him out. They opined, "He may think Stephen needs to learn a lesson, or maybe they're still at odds over politics."

In 2021, OK! magazine reported that Stephen had gained at least one family member who was willing to loan him cash if he ever got desperate: Justin Bieber. However, it's worth noting that the "8 Seconds" star and his wife weren't just looking for handouts — the insider clarified that Hailey Bieber had helped her own parents out by getting her mother hired by Bare Minerals.

In 2022, Baldwin family matriarch Carol Baldwin died at age 92. Stephen Baldwin paid tribute to his mother on Instagram by fondly remembering her 2014 baptism, which took place at New York's Skaneateles Lake. The actor also revealed what his relationship with Carol was like: "We didn't have to say much, as we are similar in our desire to love & serve others." This was evident in Stephen's support of the charity named in his mother's honor, the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund. Carol was a breast cancer survivor who founded the nonprofit, and her son helped raise money for it by regularly participating in fundraisers. It was also the charity for which Stephen was trying to score a big payday when he appeared alongside Donald Trump on "The Celebrity Apprentice" in 2008. 

However, it was very much Carol's baby. "People will often say things like, 'Your Mom went out of her way to come and visit my family,'" he proudly told NBC News in 2007. Stephen also came to the charity's defense in 2013 after Radar Online claimed that his sister, Elizabeth "Beth" Keuchler, was being paid a hefty salary for her role in the organization. Stephen provided the outlet with paperwork proving that there was nothing shady going on, adding, "I am proud of my mother and sister Beth and my family for how we have worked for the common goal of serving the cause and finding a cure for breast cancer."