Alec Baldwin is a free man after a New Mexico judge — in a shocking turn of events — dismissed his involuntary manslaughter case on Friday, putting an unexpected end to a closely-watched trial. 

“Your motion to dismiss with prejudice is granted,” the First Judicial District judge, Mary Marlowe Sommer, said on Friday, agreeing with Mr. Baldwin’s attorneys that prosecutors had suppressed evidence that was “favorable to the accused.” 

Video footage of Mr. Baldwin shows him holding his face in his hands and sobbing upon hearing the news that the case was dismissed. 

The 66-year-old actor could have faced up to 18 months in prison, and has faced a years-long legal saga after the October 2021 shooting of a cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust,” which stars Mr. Baldwin.

The actor had pleaded not guilty, claiming he didn’t know the gun was loaded with live rounds. 

“The late discovery of this evidence during trial has impeded the effective use of evidence in such a way that it has impacted the fundamental fairness of the proceedings,” Judge Sommer said.

“There is no way for the court to right this wrong,” she added. 

The armorer for the film, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was already convicted of involuntary manslaughter earlier this year and is appealing her conviction.