MSNBC and Alec Baldwin's management team announced Tuesday that they have "mutually" parted ways and the actor's six-week-old talk show host, "Up Late with Alec Baldwin," has been canceled.
"We are jointly confirming that 'Up Late' will not continue on MSNBC," the network and Matthew Hiltzik, a representative for Baldwin said. MSNBC also added: "This is a mutual parting and we wish Alec all the best."
"Up Late" has been on a two-week hiatus, following Baldwin's suspension from the network in the wake of video footage of the actor allegedly shouting homophobic slurs to a paparazzo earlier in November. Baldwin has said he did not realize his first statement was a slur and has vowed to choose his words more carefully; he denied saying the second one.
"I did not intend to hurt or offend anyone with my choice of words, but clearly I have — and for that I am deeply sorry," Baldwin said in a statement when his show was suspended. "Words are important. I understand that and will choose mine with great care going forward."
In an editorial on Nov. 16, Baldwin expressed uncertainty over his program's return.
"If the show dies, its fate ends up being no different than the vast majority of start-up TV programming, and so be it," Baldwin wrote. "We do take a small amount of pride in knowing that we beat CNN in the ratings each of our nights. (I forget who they had on at that time.)"
Baldwin also wrote about being concerned about his family's welfare because he and his wife and newborn are constantly hounded by photographers.
"Photographers have tripped and fallen on babies in strollers on my block," he wrote. "They have nearly struck my wife in the face with microphones. They provoke me, daily, by getting dangerously close to me with their cameras as weapons, hoping I will react. When I do, the weapon doubles as a device to record my reaction. And then, apparently, I lose every time. If quitting the television business, the movie business, the theatre, any component of entertainment, is necessary in order to bring safety and peace to my family, then that is an easy decision."
After Baldwin publicly apologized, GLAAD issued a statement that the actor "still needs to take real action. MSNBC has sent a message that anti-gay slurs carry consequences, and that's an important standard to uphold at a time when LGBT people continue to face disproportionate levels of bullying and violence just because of who they are."
