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Kim Basinger has shed some light on Alec Baldwin as a parent in rare comments about their relationship.
Basinger, 71, and Baldwin, 66, were married from 1993 to 2002 after meeting on the set of 1990’s The Marrying Man. They share one daughter, Ireland, who was seven when they divorced and is now 29 years old and recently welcomed her own daughter Holland.
In a new interview with Variety, Basinger spoke about where she stands with Baldwin for whom, she said, she has “great respect”.
“Alec and I have a great relationship. I have great respect for where he is today, and his family,” she said. “You know, we don’t spend Christmases and holidays or see each other very much. But we talk.”
The LA Confidential actor continued: “He’ll pick up the phone and call me, and we have a very genuinely cordial and I think loving relationship in a lot of ways, just because we share a daughter, and I don’t wish him anything but everything good.
“He’s been through a lot lately,” she added, apparently referring to the death of cinematographer Halya Hutchins in 2021.
Last year, Baldwin faced an involuntary manslaughter trial after the fatal shooting of cinematographer Hutchins, who was 42 when she died.
In July, the case was dismissed with prejudice based on the misconduct of police and prosecutors over the withholding of evidence from the defence. The prosecution will not be able to file charges against Baldwin again in Hutchins’ death.
Basinger went on to praise Baldwin’s wife, Hilaria, stating: “But Hilaria seems to have a great handle on that. So more power to her.”
Basinger’s comments come nearly two decades after Baldwin left a notorious voicemail for Ireland, who was 12 at the time.
Originally contained in a sealed file from the former couple’s court battle, the audio – in which he called Ireland a “rude, thoughtless little pig” for not answering his call at a prearranged time – was leaked online and went viral.
In a statement, the 30 Rock star apologised, writing: “”I’m sorry, as everyone who knows me is aware, for losing my temper with my child.
“I have been driven to the edge by parental alienation for many years now.”
Ireland joked about the infamous voicemail at her father’s roast on Comedy Central in 2019, quipping on stage: “It’s good to be here. I almost didn’t even know about it because I haven’t checked my voicemails from my dad for the last 12 years.”
Baldwin’s wife, Hilaria, faced her own controversy back in 2020 after she was accused of faking her Spanish heritage, prompting her to later confirm that she was, in fact, born in Boston under the name Hillary Hayward-Thomas. She spent a lot of her childhood in Spain, where her family still lives.
This month, the 41-year-old yoga instructor hit back at the criticism she has faced for her Spanish accent during the season premiere of her and Alec’s new show The Baldwins.
“I love English, I also love Spanish, and when I mix the two it doesn’t make me inauthentic, and when I mix the two, that makes me normal,” she said. “I’d be lying if I said [the controversy] didn’t make me sad and it didn’t hurt and it didn’t put me in dark places.”
