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In 2007, Alec Baldwin was having custody issues with ex-wife Kim Basinger, over their then-11-year-old daughter Ireland. After Ireland missed a scheduled phone call, Baldwin lost his temper and left her a voicemail message that ended up being made public. Below is an audio-video if you want to listen to the infamous message.
In the voicemail, Baldwin said, “You have insulted me for the last time … You don’t have the brains or the decency as a human being. I don’t give a damn that you’re 12 years old or 11 years old or that you’re a child, or that your mother is a thoughtless pain in the ass who doesn’t care about what you do, as far as I’m concerned … You’ve made me feel like shit … I’m gonna straighten your ass out when I see you. I’m going to really make sure you get it … I’ll let you know how I really feel about what a thoughtless little pig you are. You are a rude, little pig, okay?”
Alec Baldwin Was Suicidal
During an interview on Good Morning America, Baldwin admitted that the voicemail left him suicidal and created a strain on his relationship with his daughter. According to People, Baldwin said, “It’s a scab that never heals cause it’s being picked at all the time by other people. My daughter, that’s hurt her in a permanent way.”
Baldwin said that his suicidal thoughts were “very serious” and he said, “I spoke to a lot of professionals, who helped me If I committed suicide, [Kim Basinger’s side] would have considered that a victory. Destroying me was their avowed goal.”
Baldwin decided to appear on The View to open up about this, explaining that, “Whoopi Goldberg is a friend. I called her and said, ‘Do you think I can get a fair shake?’ Because when you talk about family law and parental alienation, there is this unfortunate gender-based dynamic. Could I walk into a show with a strong female audience? Would they understand my point of view? I trusted Whoopi and Barbara Walters. Whoopi is an impeccably decent person, and I am grateful she gave me a forum.”
Alec Baldwin’s Harvey Levin Feud Over the Voicemail
TMZ was the first outlet to make the infamous voicemail public and when Baldwin spoke about TMZ head Harvey Levin, he called him “a human tumor, a graceless character who lives in that weird netherworld.” Baldwin went on to say, that “When that voicemail tape thing happened, Matt Lauer interviewed [Harvey] Levin before he even called me. Lauer put Levin on Today, and they never phoned me. When it’s in their interest to reach me, they know how. I saw that and said, ‘My relationship with the Today show is over.’ I’ll never do Today again, ever. Life’s too short.”
Baldwin also opened up about the voicemail incident in his memoir, “Nevertheless”. The Hollywood Reporter stated that in the memoir, Baldwin admitted to regretting the voicemail, but still having hard feelings towards his ex-wife, Basinger, from that time.
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