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The Netflix docuseries Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives features many shocking scenes and allegations. From extortion to high-profile coercion, Bad Vegan has it all — including an unexpected celebrity connection that has everyone talking. Notably, at one point in the docuseries, vegan restaurateur Sarma Melngailis opened up about her relationship with Alec Baldwin, claiming that she and the actor developed an instant connection.
Since the documentary series debuted, others have speculated that Melngailis and Baldwin had crushes on each other. Some may wonder if Baldwin has responded publicly to being name-dropped in Bad Vegan.
What is the Netflix show ‘Bad Vegan’ about?
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Bad Vegan tells the story of Sarma Melngailis, a New York-based restaurateur who opened the popular raw vegan restaurant Pure Food and Wine. The restaurant enjoyed widespread popularity in New York City. And Melngailis went on to open several other eateries, including One Lucky Duck Juice and Takeaway. In 2011, as detailed in the docuseries, Melngailis met Anthony Strangis, aka Shane Fox. He ultimately turned out to be a conman. Reportedly, Melngailis first noticed Strangis after he started communicating on Twitter with actor Alec Baldwin, who was a regular at Pure Food and Wine.
Melngailis and Strangis tied the knot in 2012, and Strangis became a manager at his wife’s restaurant. According to the Daily Mail, Strangis then started transferring money from her business account to her personal bank account, to the tune of more than $1.6 million. Melngailis later claimed Strangis told her the money would go to making her dog immortal and expand her business holdings.
Is Sarma Melngailis connected to Alec Baldwin?
In May 2015, according to the Daily Mail, Melngailis and Strangis disappeared. They were later apprehended and sentenced to jail time. One of the most interesting elements of the docuseries is the bizarre connection Melngailis apparently has to actor Alec Baldwin. “I met Alec Baldwin at the restaurant,” Melngailis notes in the very first episode of Bad Vegan, according to Fox News. “We talked a lot on the phone and via email. Sometimes when you meet somebody, and you feel like you already knew them, it kind of felt like that with him.”
Baldwin is known for his devotion to the vegan lifestyle. Baldwin became an aficionado of Pure Food and Wine, even meeting his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, at the restaurant in 2011. The two would go on to tie the knot in 2012. However, while Baldwin met his future wife at the restaurant, some believed Melngailis and Baldwin had some chemistry.
Journalist Allen Salkin opened up in Bad Vegan. “My understanding of her relationship with Alec Baldwin is that he was a regular customer at the restaurant, and that, like a lot of the gentlemen who went there, he had a bit of a crush on Sarma,” he said. Adding to the mystery, Melngailis allegedly wrote a blog post in 2010 where she said she “loved” Baldwin.
Have Alec and Hilaria Baldwin publicly responded to the ‘Bad Vegan’ scandal?
Melngailis has claimed she and Baldwin were only ever just friends. And the actor and his wife have remained mum about the docuseries. This includes any alleged friendship with Melngailis. It’s possible Baldwin could be supporting his former friend behind the scenes. But likely, the controversial star doesn’t want to get caught up in the drama surrounding Bad Vegan.
RELATED: ‘Bad Vegan’: Sarma Melngailis’s Dog, Leon, Has His Own Instagram Account