Alec Baldwin Wants to Be 'Brave' and Attend Trial 'Alone,' But Family Will Be There 'to Support Him' (Source)

Alec Baldwin's family is backing him as his involuntary manslaughter trial begins in New Mexico.

A source tells PEOPLE that while Baldwin, 66, intended to travel to Santa Fe, New Mexico alone to attend the criminal trial, his family — including his wife Hilaria Baldwin — will remain by his side as the proceedings get underway.

"Alec wants to put on a brave face and go to the trial alone, but his family will be present to support him," the source says.

Hilaria, 40, was seen arriving at Santa Fe's First Judicial District Court on Tuesday, July 9 along with two of the couple's seven children as her husband and his lawyer Alec Spiro entered the court for jury selection in his trial. 

Alec and Hilaria share seven children, including Carmen, 10, Rafael, 8, Leonardo, 7, Romeo, 5, Eduardo, 3, María, 3, and Ilaria, 19 months.

The same source recently told PEOPLE that Alec is "stressed" and "understandably worried" about the trial at which he faces up to 18 months in prison if convicted. He submitted a not guilty plea in January shortly after a grand jury indicted him on the involuntary manslaughter charge.

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"He has an excellent legal team," the source said. "I don't think anyone is thinking jail time, but given the decision for Ms. Gutierrez-Reed it’s hard to know."

The 30 Rock star's criminal trial comes more than two years after the 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the Western movie Rust. Alec was holding a prop gun when it discharged, additionally injuring director Joel Souza. He has insisted that he did not pull the weapon's trigger or know that the gun mistakenly contained live ammunition.

"You have to understand that at the end of the day Alec is a professional actor," the source added at the time. "So when he's on set, you wind him up, you say action, he pulls out the gun and does whatever he's supposed to do on his job. Then suddenly he's facing criminal charges. It's like, how did that even happen?"

Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter at the conclusion of her criminal trial in March. She was later sentenced to the maximum penalty of 18 months of incarceration at a New Mexico women's correctional facility on April 15.