“I am outraged”— The Young and the Restless star Eric Braeden backs Baldwin during trial

Eric Braeden, the well-known actor from The Young and the Restless, has come out in support of Alec Baldwin, who is currently facing trial for involuntary manslaughter. Braeden went on social media to share his frustration about Baldwin's situation.

The star, known for playing Victor Newman on The Young and the Restless for over 40 years, stated,

"I’m actually outraged that it has come to this."

His remarks were made following the trial surrounding the unfortunate passing of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during the filming of Rust. He talked about how the assistant director and prop master have certain duties in these situations.

Alec Baldwin, a well-known actor from 30 Rock and The Departed, is dealing with legal issues following the tragic shooting on the Rust set. Baldwin says he was given a gun he thought was safe to use, bringing attention to the importance of on-set safety rules and the roles of those in charge of firearms.

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The Young and the Restless' Braeden expresses outrage over Baldwin's trial

With his years of experience in film and TV, especially with action scenes and guns, Braeden pointed out the long-standing safety protocols for handling firearms on set. He made it clear that actors shouldn't be held accountable for checking if a gun is unloaded.

"I’ve been an actor since 1962. I’ve been on more sets with guns — used more guns in the various guest-starring roles I’ve played, always as the bad guy — [so I] know damn well that as actors, we are not responsible for whether the damn gun is loaded or not," Braeden stated.

He added,

"The prop person comes to you. This has been the case for over 60 years for me."

The Young and the Restless star explained how important it is to have the assistant director around during safety checks, emphasizing that actors depend on them to keep them safe.

"To hold [Baldwin] responsible is simply unrealistic, totally unfair… As an actor, that’s the last thing you think about," Braeden continued.

He went on to say,

"It is incumbent upon the AD and the property person to make sure the actor has seen that the gun is not loaded, that there’s not even one bullet left."

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The broader implications of on-set safety and accountability raised by The Young and the Restless star

The trial has not just put Alec Baldwin's actions on the spot but also raised bigger questions about safety and accountability in movie sets. Braeden's remarks bring up an important point in the discussion: who's responsible for what? He believes that Baldwin, who's known more for his work in comedy and drama than action movies, likely relied on the assurances of the on-set experts.

"Alec Baldwin I don’t think is used to doing a lot of action films, so he was assured when he was given the gun, I’m certain, ‘There’s no bullet in here.’ Why the hell would he otherwise take it? Are you nuts?"

This situation shows how there can be issues with communication and safety rules on movie sets, especially when it comes to handling guns.

The Young and the Restless actor concluded his remarks by blaming experts responsible for propeller safety.

"So the responsibility, as far as I’m concerned, lies squarely on the AD and the armorer. End of story."

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Fans of The Young and the Restless can catch Braeden's performance as Victor Newman on CBS or stream episodes on Paramount+.