MSNBC Suspends Alec Baldwin

MSNBC tonight announced that Alec Baldwin has been suspended for two weeks in the wake of his latest anti-gay outburst. Via the Hollywood Reporter:

The announcement Friday followed the controversial actions of the 30 Rock star over the past several days. Up Late With Alec Baldwin had premiered only a month ago, on October 11. "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. "Words are important. I understand that and will choose mine with great care going forward. What I said and did this week, as I was trying to protect my family, was offensive and unacceptable. Behavior like this undermines hard-fought rights that I vigorously support. I understand Up Late will be taken off the schedule for tonight and next week."

RELATED: Virulently anti-gay sites like Breitbart have been hypocritically condemning MSNBC for not immediately acting on Baldwin's latest slurs. Now, of course, they'll scream that he got off with a slap on the wrist. Because they are the noble defenders of gay people.

UPDATE: GLAAD reacts via press release.

"Alec Baldwin 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." The announcement came following the release of a tape yesterday in which Baldwin is allegedly heard calling a photographer a 'c*cksucking fag.' GLAAD responded to media outlets about the incident: "Mr. Baldwin can’t lend his support for equality on paper, while degrading gay people in practice. It’s clearly time he listens to the calls from so many LGBT people and allies to end this pattern of anti-gay slurs.”