Welcome to “The Scoop” — the ultimate back-to-the-office water cooler cheat sheet, your go-to source for all things everyone really wants to know! Get the latest on everything from the political swamp maneuvering in D.C. and Hollywood drama to jaw-dropping small-town shenanigans from Paula Froelich. Subscribe to her newsletter here.
(NewsNation) — It’s hard to pay the bills these days — especially if you have seven children under the age of 12.
Eyebrows were raised last week when it was announced that Alec Baldwin and his wife, Hilaria, were hosting the Planet Hollywood reopening in Times Square — a gig I’m told earned him a “minimum” appearance/hosting fee of $500,000.
”It was just odd,” my insider said. “Alec Baldwin? He would never do that before (the “Rust” shooting). He was an A-List Hollywood actor.”
But since the “Rust” incident, where he accidentally shot and killed videographer Halyna Hutchins, things have changed.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 22: Alec Baldwin, Hilaria Baldwin, and their kids attend as DreamWorks Animation presents The Boss Baby: Family Business World Premiere at SVA Theatre on June 22, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Universal Pictures) 
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 11: (L-R) Alec Baldwin, Hilaria Baldwin and family attend the Spellbound Premiere on November 11, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Netflix) 
SNL50: THE RED CARPET — Pictured: (l-r) Alec Baldwin and Hilaria Baldwin on Sunday, February 16, 2025 — (Photo by NBC/Noam Galai/NBC via Getty Images) 
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 14: (L-R) Alec Baldwin and Hilaria Baldwin attend SNL50: The Homecoming Concert at Radio City Music Hall on February 14, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images) 
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 11: Hilaria Baldwin and Alec Baldwin pose at the grand Opening of the new Planet Hollywood NYC at Planet Hollywood New York City on March 11, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Glikas/Getty Images)
Legal fees drained Alec Baldwin’s coffers
While all charges were eventually dropped against Baldwin, years of legal fees drained his coffers, and acting jobs dried up. [He currently has only four proposed jobs listed on IMDB, three of which are in ‘preproduction’].
And although Alec and Hilaria have the TLC reality show, “The Baldwins,” it has suffered from dwindling ratings and major criticism from critics and audiences.
So when Planet Hollywood owner Robert Earl came knocking, Alec and his wife answered.
One event organizer who organizes major events for large companies told me, “For someone of Alec’s caliber, it would cost a minimum of $500,000 for him to host, but possibly even more as he hosted it and therefore would have had to stay all night. They’re horsetrading on his name, so they’d have to pay big money.”
At the same event, Boy George was billed as the DJ and 50 Cent as the “special guest” — my source said they also would have gotten similar money. And while Pete Davidson also showed, my source said he likely got a fee as well.
”Nobody does an event like that for free,” the event manager said. “They all get an appearance fee.”
One man who did show for free? New York City Mayor Eric Adams — who was promptly booed by the crowd on arrival.
Reps for Baldwin didn’t return emails.