Alec Baldwin has opened up about his relationship with his daughter Ireland, sharing what he believes led to them having a strained relationship for years.
The 66-year-old actor was married to Ireland’s mom, Kim Basinger, from 1993 to 2002, and one of his biggest regrets is how their acrimonious divorce impacted their daughter.
“My relationship with my daughter Ireland was so negatively impacted by my divorce from her mother,” Alec explained on the second episode of his family’s new TLC show, The Baldwins.
“One of my most regrettable things about the whole thing was how it affected Ireland,” he added.
Alec and Kim spent seven years in a bitter divorce battle and while the financial negotiations took about 18 months, according to Alec, “everything else was custody”, a process he called “really really tough” and “just insanity”.
The strain in Alec and Ireland’s relationship became evident in 2007 when a voicemail leaked of him calling his then-11-year-old daughter a “rude, thoughtless little pig” because she didn’t answer his call.
© Getty ImagesOver the years, Alec and Ireland have rebuilt their relationship and she has become a loving sister to his kids, Carmen, 11, Rafael, nine, Leonardo, eight, Romeo, six, Eduardo, four, Maria, three, and Ilaria, two, with wife Hilaria Baldwin.
“I have a good relationship with her, and she loves the kids,” he said. “She is sweet to them and is their older sister, but she isn’t in that pack.”
© Getty ImagesAlec has learned from his mistakes with Ireland and is determined not to repeat them with his second-oldest daughter, Carmen.
“This is why I think I’m so focused on Carmen,” he added. “I want to have a good relationship with Carmen because I have a girl all over again.”
© Getty ImagesIn 2020, Ireland revealed that she too took some major personal steps to repair the damage in their relationship.
“It took a lot of time and a lot of therapy. We were both in really dark places in our lives,” Ireland told Entertainment Tonight. “But I love him, I respect him more than anyone.”
Ireland is now a mom after welcoming her daughter, Holland, 22 months, with her boyfriend, musician André Allen Anjos aka RAC.
© Getty ImagesAfter Holland’s arrival, Alec and Hilaria shared their excitement over becoming grandparents.
“All of these aunties and uncles and us grandparents are so excited that Holland is here!!! ” Hilaria captioned a family photo. “Congratulations to the mama and papa, Ireland and Andre. We love you so very much!”
As for Alec’s relationship with his ex-wife Kim, she recently revealed that she has “great respect” for him.
© Getty Images“Alec and I have a great relationship. I have great respect for where he is today, and his family,” she told Variety. “You know, we don’t spend Christmases and holidays or see each other very much. But we talk.”
Kim added: “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.”
