Kim Basinger

[Deleted]

I think Alec Baldwin is freakin' insane. He crows so much about being a good father, yet he refuses to see his daughter unless it is on his terms.

Kim has agoraphobia. Last time I checked, it wasn't contagious. Nor has it impacted Ireland's life to the extent that her mom would be a danger to her or force her to live indoors forever.

Also, didn't he decide to host SNL instead of seeing his daughter? Asshole.

[Deleted]

She lost, and she wound up having to pay several million dollars in damages (which I believe Alec paid because she didn't have the money).

Because right around that time she bought a small Georgia town, Braselton, for $20 million.

I don't think it is a big deal that Kim has agoraphobia. I just think there are two sides of every story, and you can't really know what is going on if you are not walking in their shoes. Also, from experience, I know that people can do manipulative things that to outsiders seem perfectly innocent. There are rules to relationships that can be set up so that only the players (the family) understand, and other people simply cannot see what you see.

[Yossarian]

He also keeps on taking Kim back to court to quibble over various issues but on a number of occassions has not turned up to court. If I was debating custody, you can bet that I would be in court for every single minute of my case. I think he genuinely loves his daughter but I wouldn't be at all surprised if, like many other angry and hurt parents, he has figured out that one sure way to fuck up your ex is to drag them through the courts.

Kim has agoraphobia. Last time I checked, it wasn't contagious. Nor has it impacted Ireland's life to the extent that her mom would be a danger to her or force her to live indoors forever.

Exactly. People manage to live great lives with all sorts of disorders - the fact that Kim has taken steps to deal with her problems and acknowledges her weaknesses is a good sign, IMHO. Much better than a macho asshole who refuses to admit that his violent temper may have something to do with his daughter's reluctance to see him.

[Deleted]

And she's obviously dealt with her agoraphoria; her worst spell was before L.A. Confidential, but she then got therapy and managed to win an Oscar. She appeared in public many times under circumstances that would freak out non-agoraphobes.

I have OCD, and I'd be pissed if someone said I couldn't be a good mother because of it.

[Deleted]

I read somewhere she wouldn't let her travel on planes with her father because Kim felt she could "protect Ireland from the terrorists better than Alec."

What the FUCK? That poor kid is going to end up knocking off a convenience store by the time she's 14. Damned parents are idiots.

[Deleted]

I read somewhere she wouldn't let her travel on planes with her father because Kim felt she could "protect Ireland from the terrorists better than Alec."

Honestly, that's the first authentically crazy thing that I've heard about Kim vis a vis her daughter. The dedication on the wrapper seems fairly innocuous to me. At the very least it doesn't sound like something worth dragging your ex-wife to court over. They really need an alternative venue to sort this stuff out. I hope they're forced to go to family therapy together.

[Deleted]

I read that Kim wanted the court to order him to family therapy, which she and Ireland were already attending - that was one of the issues - but that's when Alec claimed he wouldn't because the shrink was against him.

I still fail to see the problem about the wrapper. I don't find it unusual that a parent would say their kid gave them strength, either; I think it's quite lovely, actually. And it's usually true, especially during difficult times like divorce or death.

It is lovely and good for children to realize that they contribute something to their relationship with their parents, and that they can help mom and dad with things, such as giving them strength or love. It would be wrong for a parent to portray his or herself as an automon who never needs any support from anybody, especially their children. I don't think that just because a parent admits that they have feelings or appreciates support from their kid that that means the kid is "parenting the parent."

[ernestine]

I have a horrible question, and I don't want to piss off anyone here, really. But, .... is Ireland mentally disabled? Everytime I see a picture of her she looks it to me for some reason, but I've never seen it addressed. It's not that she's an ugly child (though I'll say she isn't as pretty as her parents and leave it at that) it's more that she has a vague look in her eye.

Anyway, it's something I've wondered for years and I wanted to know if anyone else has noticed the same thing or heard anything. And it certainly would help explain why they both felt so strongly that she needed to be protected, and that she could be so easily swayed.

If it makes anyone feel better, I have a disabled child myself and I'm certainly not making fun of Ireland.

[Deleted]

Regarding the "my child gave me strength" remark... The way I took it was that KB, realizing she was responsible for a child, forced herself to become strong in order to take care of her daughter better. I would never have taken it that she was implying that she relied on the kid to support and strengthen her.

As far as the child being possibly 'impaired...' hmmm. I've never heard that. But the vagueness in her eyes might be some kind of defense mechanism -- kind of a withdrawal when she sees cameras pointed at her and her parents. I'm sure she's very aware that her father punched out a photographer who ambushed them on their way home one time. She might automatically get tense and "blank" at the sight of cameras, possibly praying that they get behind closed doors without any violent outbursts.

[niddlemiddle]

bonsai said:

The way I took it was that KB, realizing she was responsible for a child, forced herself to become strong in order to take care of her daughter better. I would never have taken it that she was implying that she relied on the kid to support and strengthen her.

That's how I took it as well. I know that in the bigger picture of life, my kids have made me stronger in ways I never expected. I also haven't been through agoraphobia, a bitter divorce and trying to maintain a bit of privacy.