The family of a fallen U.S. Marine who was killed in a terrorist attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, is suing actor Alec Baldwin for allegedly falsely saying the Marine’s sister took part in the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol.
The family of Marine Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum is suing Baldwin for $25 million for alleged defamation, invasion of privacy, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress, documents obtained by Fox News Digital revealed Wednesday.
The lawsuit comes after Baldwin posted on Instagram that he gave $5,000 to McCollum’s widow to help with their infant daughter. The actor had reached out to McCollum’s sister, Roice, and asked that the money be given to McCollum’s widow, Jiennah Crayton.
After Baldwin sent the check – which he called a “tribute to a fallen soldier” – Roice shared a photo on Instagram of herself at the Washington Monument on Jan. 6, 2021. The lawsuit states that Roice was in Washington, DC, during the storming of the Capitol, but she was protesting Joe Biden’s certification as president-elect and did not participate in any rioting or unlawful activity.
“During the rioting, she was stuck in place outside the Capitol Building next to multiple police officers for hours after the rioting began due to the fact that so many people were around her and the area had been locked down,” the lawsuit states. “Later, a neighbor who was unhappy that Roice attended the demonstration turned her into the authorities.”
After being interviewed by the FBI, Roice was cleared of any wrongdoing, but Baldwin still called her a “rioter” in a direct message.
“When I sent the $ for your late brother, out of real respect for his service to this country, I didn’t know you were a January 6th rioter,” Baldwin wrote.
“Protesting is perfectly legal in the country and I’ve already had my sit down with the FBI,” Roice responded. “Thanks, have a nice day!”
Roice’s response and the fact that she was cleared by federal law enforcement wasn’t enough for Baldwin, who doubled down on the accusation, even going so far as to suggest Roice was partially responsible for “the death of a law enforcement officer.”
“I don’t think so. Your activities resulted in the unlawful destruction of government property, the death of a law enforcement officer, an assault on the certification of the presidential election,” Baldwin replied. “I reposted your photo. Good luck.”
Baldwin, who has 2.4 million followers on Instagram, reposted the photo and called Roice an “insurrectionist.” The post was later deleted.
Roice said the post led to a barrage of hateful comments, including “Get raped and die, worthless c—t [kiss emoji]. Your brother got what he deserved,” court documents show.
The lawsuit also alleges that Baldwin continued to hammer Roice in the comment section of his post, again labeling her an “insurrectionist” and “rioter.”
“Baldwin’s conduct was negligent and reckless as he should have known that making the allegations he did against plaintiffs to his millions of followers would cause plaintiffs harm,” court documents state.
“Baldwin’s comments were false, outrageous, defamatory, irresponsible, vindictive and caused – and continue to cause — plaintiffs severe emotional distress,” the documents continue. “Instead of being able to focus on grieving LCPL McCollum’s death and raising his newborn daughter, plaintiffs and their family are now fearful for their lives.”
