Alec Baldwin thinks his career may well be over the accidental killing of Halyna Hutchins, and only time will tell if he’s right. The tragedy means Baldwin joins a list of famous names who are responsible for another person’s death. Here are a few.
Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick was vacationing in Northern Ireland in 1987 after the success of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. On August 5, he crossed into the wrong lane while driving, killing Anna Gallagher and her mother Margaret Doherty instantly. Co-star and girlfriend Jennifer Grey broke some bones, and nearly ended up paralyzed. Broderick only paid a fine of $175 for the charge of careless driving. When Broderick later starred in a Hyundai commercial, Doherty’s family spoke out against it.
Caitlyn Jenner
In February 2015, Caitlyn Jenner accidentally ran into the car of Kim Howe, an actress, and animal rights activist. Howe died, and multiple others were injured in the incident. Jenner faced multiple lawsuits, but settled out of court. The crash occurred just months before Jenner came out as transgender. South Park soon immortalized this incident. Jenner features prominently in the show’s ninth season, frequently driving recklessly.
Brandy
R&B singer and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer star Brandy was also involved in a fatal car crash. In December 2006, she struck a car driven by Awatef Aboudihaj who died as a result of her injuries. The police said Brandy failed to notice a slowdown on the highway, causing a multi-car crash. She was not arrested but still faced multiple lawsuits out of court, including those from Aboudihaj’s husband and parents. Brandy later said of the incident, “I still don’t understand all of it and why all of it happened, but I definitely have a heart, and my heart goes out to everyone involved.”
Vince Neil
Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil was partying in late 1984 with the Finnish band Hanoi Rocks. After a long night of drinking, Neil and the band’s drummer Nicholas Dingley decided to go driving. An intoxicated Neil struck another car, seriously injuring its occupants and killing Dingey. Neil later paid $2.6 million to the crash’s victims and spent 15 days in jail. The band later dedicated their album Theatre of Pain to Dingey.
Dog The Bounty Hunter
Back when he was just Duane Chapman, Dog the Bounty was charged with first-degree murder. In 1976, he was the getaway driver when his friend killed Jerry Oliver in a dispute over cannabis. He was sentenced to five years in prison but only served 18 months.
Chapman later said it was his time in the state penitentiary that inspired him to become a bounty hunter. He told Hannity & Colmes, “One guy went to break and run one day, an inmate, and I jumped him…as the guard walked up when I was on top of the inmate apprehending him, and he threw down the handcuffs and said, “Hook him up, bounty hunter.” This is where his infamous career truly began.
Phil Spector
For decades Phil Spector was famous for producing The Beatles’ Let It Be and his 60s-defining Wall of Sound. Nowadays, he’s remembered as a killer. In 2003, actress Lana Clarkson was found dead in his Los Angeles mansion. A limousine driver heard a gunshot at the house and overheard Spector say “I think I just shot her.” The trial became a media circus, and later an Al Pacino bio-series. After a hung jury, Spector was finally found guilty of murder in 2009. He died in prison of COVID-19.
Felicia Pearson
Felicia Pearson is best known for playing Snoop on The Wire. The character was a killer with a troubled past. Long before she went into acting, Pearson was charged with second-degree murder. At 16, she was convicted for the shooting of Okia Toomer and sentenced to two consecutive eight-year terms. She was released after six and a half years. A chance meeting with the late Michael K. Williams secured her a spot on The Wire.
Charles S. Dutton
You may not know the name Charles S. Dutton, but you’ve definitely seen him work. He secured a Tony Award nomination in the 1984 debut of August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Chadwick Boseman later earned an Oscar nomination for the same role in the film of the same name. Hutton was also in Oz, Alien 3, and Menace II Society to name a few projects. When he was just 16 years old, Dutton pled guilty to manslaughter after a knife fight. He was paroled in less than two years but had to serve another eight years for punching a guard.
Lillo Brancato Jr.
Lillo Brandcato Jr. starred in The Bronx Tale and had a very memorable tenure as Matthew Bevilacqua on The Sopranos. He fell on hard times due to addiction and turned to robbery. In 2005, a robbery went wrong and an off-duty cop was killed in a gunfight. Brancato was sent to prison on a 10-year sentence for second-degree murder but only served four years. He now says he’s 13 years sober and has returned to acting, so it looks like he’s turned his life around.