Alec Baldwin, the 65-year-old actor, was seen in a cheerful mood as he picked up bagels in New York City on Thursday. This comes just a day after reports surfaced about an alleged settlement of a $25 million defamation lawsuit between Baldwin and the family of a marine who lost his life in Afghanistan.

According to journalist Emily Miller, Baldwin had reached a settlement with the family of Rylee McCollum. McCollum was one of the service members who tragically died in the August 2021 bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul during the withdrawal from Afghanistan. The lawsuit centered around Baldwin publicly shaming Rylee's sister for attending the January 6 Capitol riot.

However, Baldwin's lawyer quickly disputed these claims, stating that no payment was made to settle the case. Lawyers for both parties have declined to offer further comments on the matter, while family members have expressed their desire to move on from the situation.

The controversy began when Baldwin had previously donated $5,000 to the Marine's family's GoFundMe, set up by Rylee's sister Roice McCollum. However, after learning of her alleged involvement in the Capitol riot, Baldwin sent her numerous messages and publicly mentioned her Instagram handle to his millions of followers. This resulted in Roice receiving waves of online abuse.

In a private message to Roice, Baldwin expressed his surprise at her participation in the riot, stating that he had sent money to honor her late brother's service to the country. Roice clarified that she was not involved in the riots and had been cleared by the FBI.

The lawsuit against Baldwin was previously dismissed by US District Judge Edgardo Ramos, who ruled that his comments were protected by the First Amendment. The McCollum family had until September 12 to file a revised complaint.

While the details of the alleged settlement remain murky, Alec Baldwin was spotted smiling and appearing to be in good spirits as he interacted with a couple on the streets of New York City during his bagel run. Meanwhile, his wife Hilaria, 39, was also seen beaming as she went for a run in the city.

As the controversy around the lawsuit settlement continues to unfold, Alec Baldwin's lighthearted demeanor amidst the situation raises questions about the true resolution of the case and the impact it may have on all parties involved.