Alec Baldwin blames 'fundamentalist wing of gay advocacy' for MSNBC show cancellation

Actor, who reportedly called photographer a 'cocksucking fag', acknowledged he had to take some responsibility

The actor Alec Baldwin has blamed "the fundamentalist wing of gay advocacy" for the decision by MSNBC, the US cable news channel, to cancel his weekly show after he used offensive language to a photographer.

Baldwin, who was caught on camera apparently calling a photographer a "cocksucking fag", acknowledged he had to take "some responsibility" for his actions but blamed activists for the network's decision on Tuesday to pull the plug on his six-week-old talk show, Up Late with Alec Baldwin.

"You've got the fundamentalist wing of gay advocacy – Rich Ferraro and Andrew Sullivan – they're out there, they've got you," he told the news site Gothamist. Ferraro is a spokesman for the mainstream campaign group Glaad, and Sullivan is a popular blogger whose views are not widely regarded as extremist.

"Rich Ferraro, this is probably one of his greatest triumphs," Baldwin said. "They killed my show. And I have to take some responsibility for that myself."

MSNBC suspended the show two weeks ago after Baldwin was caught on camera apparently calling a photographer a "cocksucking fag". He disputed using the second word, apologised for the first and promised to be more careful in the future but amid continued outcry the network announced his show would not resume.

"We are jointly confirming that 'Up Late' will not continue on MSNBC," the network and Matthew Hiltzik, a representative for Baldwin said in a statement. The network added: "This is a mutual parting and we wish Alec all the best."

The 30 Rock star, currently in Hawaii filming a Cameron Crown film, told Gothamist the audio of his outburst was unclear. "Faggot' is not the word that came out of my mouth."

He also denied a New York Post report that he aggressively took over a makeup room used by a woman with cancer who was sensitive to hairspray.

"No one ever ever ever said to me that somebody had cancer, and I never said 'I don't give a fuck'."

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