Kim Basinger has spoken warmly about her ex-husband Alec Baldwin, decades after their highly publicised and contentious divorce. In a new interview with Variety, the 71-year-old actress said she has 'great respect' for Baldwin, 66, and described their current relationship as 'genuinely cordial'.
Basinger and Baldwin were married from 1993 to 2002 after meeting on the set of the 1990 film The Marrying Man. They share a daughter, Ireland, now 29, who welcomed her own child in 2023. Their divorce was marked by a bitter custody battle over Ireland.
'Alec and I have a great relationship. I have great respect for where he is today, and his family,' Basinger told Variety. 'We don’t spend Christmases and holidays or see each other very much. But we talk.' She added that Baldwin will call her, and they share a 'loving relationship' because of their daughter.
Basinger also referenced the legal troubles Baldwin faced following the 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film Rust. The involuntary manslaughter case against Baldwin was dismissed in July due to police and prosecutorial misconduct. 'He’s been through a lot lately,' Basinger said.
The actress also praised Baldwin's wife, Hilaria, saying: 'But Hilaria seems to have a great handle on that. So more power to her.' Hilaria has faced her own controversies, including accusations of faking her Spanish heritage, which she addressed on the premiere of their reality show The Baldwins.
Basinger's comments come nearly two decades after a leaked voicemail in which Baldwin called their then-12-year-old daughter a 'rude, thoughtless little pig' went viral. Baldwin later apologised, and Ireland joked about the incident at his Comedy Central roast in 2019.
