It has been a horrendous year for Alec Baldwin as he faced criminal and civil cases against him in the accidental shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust. With the criminal case recently dropped, a source exclusively tells In Touch the 66-year-old is “overwhelmed with gratitude.”

Now, with a mountain of legal bills — and the civil case pending — the dad of eight is still moving forward with his TLC reality show featuring wife Hilaria and their seven young tots. “Doing a reality show wasn’t Alex’s first choice,” says the insider, “but it’s a fast way to make cash.”

That’s what another famous father of an oversized brood thought back in the day — and he has a warning for Alec.

“I did it for the money in the beginning ’cause I didn’t know how I was gonna support my family,” Jon Gosselin, 47, recently said of Jon & Kate Plus 8. But it came at a cost — not only did his marriage to Kate Gosselin end, but he’s estranged from all but two of his kids, who resented being filmed without their permission.

“Look at the nuclear fallout that happened,” Jon said of his regrets.

Yet Alec isn’t worried about exposing his kids, says the insider, who notes, “They’re used to attention.” Like it or not!

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