Former Fox News Reporter Defends Himself After Dressing As Alec Baldwin For Halloween

Former Fox News senior correspondent Rick Leventhal has come under fire for his Alec Baldwin-themed Halloween outfit.

Dressed in a plaid shirt, Western hat, leather vest, denim jeans and holding a gun, you wouldn't be mistaken if you thought the bloke's costume was a cowboy.

However, Rick specified in the caption on his Instagram post that he went as 'the great American actor' Alec Baldwin on the set of Rust.

This was the movie where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was accidentally fatally shot by Baldwin while they were filming scenes.

Considering Baldwin has been distraught since the tragic incident happened in New Mexico, many people believe the costume is in very poor taste.

One person commented on the Instagram post with: "Sorry but bad taste. Come on someone lost their life."

Another added: "Soooo messed up on so many levels."

A third said: "Trying with all the have to stay relevant! In poor taste but they know that."

Despite the backlash, Rick has double-downed on his costume and said the real outrage should be directed at Alec Baldwin.

He said Halloween wouldn't exist if we dissected every single person's outfit because there would eventually be a problematic layer to it.

Instagram/@rickleventhal

"In no way was I trying to offend anyone, except Alec Baldwin. He's a jerk and deserves all the heat he's getting," he told Page Six.

"We planned our costumes weeks ago, and I just decided to be [Baldwin] at the last minute.

"If Baldwin is anti-gun why is he waving them around in movies and pointing them at people and pulling the trigger? Focus your anger at him and the hypocrisy of that industry."

Leventhal also explained his wife, former Real Housewives of Orange County's Kelly Dodd, was honouring her Native American heritage by wearing a traditional headdress.

Dodd told E! News in January that she took a DNA test and it revealed she is apparently Black, Asian, Mexican, Spanish, 30 percent Native American and 1 percent Jewish.

Addressing the backlash for the Halloween outfit, Dodd told Page Six that people need to relax.

"People are way too sensitive. I embrace my Native American heritage. I think the fashion is beautiful, and this was a tribute and celebration," she said.

Topics: Entertainment, Celebrity

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

@stewartperrie