Alec Baldwin has reflected on his tumultuous divorce from Kim Basinger, revealing the one of the “most regrettable things” their split brought on.
In Sunday’s episode of his and wife Hilaria Baldwin’s TLC reality show, “The Baldwins,” the actor recalled how his 2002 divorce from Basinger affected their daughter, Ireland Baldwin, now 29.
“I must say that because my relationship with my daughter Ireland was so negatively impacted by my divorce from her mother and having a very protracted custody battle that the media really were having a party about everything,” Alec, 66, said.
The exes, who welcomed Ireland in 1995, were locked in an ugly custody battle for a long while.
“[It] went on for seven years, of which the financials were probably a year and a half and then everything else was custody,” he said, adding that the experience was “insanity and really, really tough.”
“One of my most regrettable things about the whole thing was how it affected Ireland,” the “30 Rock” alum added.
“The Marrying Man” co-stars said “I do” in 1993 after meeting on the set of the 1991 movie.
However, after welcoming Ireland two years later, the duo’s marriage began to crumble and ultimately resulted in divorce by 2002.
Their split soon turned bitter as they battled for custody of Ireland for a total of 7 years.
In his 2008 book, “A Promise to Ourselves: A Journey Through Fatherhood and Divorce,“ Alec detailed their battle, where the former model allegedly spent more than $15 million to deny him parental access.
During a “Red Table Talk” episode in 2022, Basinger revealed that she and Alec now get along — though she called him a “challenge.”
During a “Red Table Talk” episode in 2022, Basinger revealed that she and Alec now get along — though she called him a “challenge.”
As for his relationship with Ireland, the embattled “Rust” actor has had a rollercoaster relationship with his eldest child.
Alec infamously left her a heated voicemail in April 2007, telling her that she was a “rude, thoughtless little pig” after she didn’t pick up the phone for a court-ordered conversation in the midst of a custody battle.
But their father-daughter bond has grown stronger since then, especially now that Ireland is a mom herself.
Following Alec’s divorce from Basinger, he found love with Hilaria, tying the knot in 2012.
The pair went on to welcome Carmen Gabriela, 11, Rafael Thomas, 9, Leonardo Ángel Charles, 8, Romeo Alejandro David, 6, Eduardo “Edu” Pao Lucas, 4, María Lucía “Marilu” Victoria, 4, and Ilaria Catalina Irena, 2.
Basinger, for her part, has not re-married since her divorce from Baldwin.
The actress was previously married to makeup artist Ron Snyder-Britton from 1980 to 1989.
Basinger rose to fame in the 1980s, starting with her role as a Bond Girl opposite Sean Connery in the 1983 James Bond film “Never Say Never.”
She’s also well known for her role in the erotic drama “9½ Weeks,” as well as her Oscar-winning performance in “LA Confidential.”
