22 April 2007 14:06:31Baldwin apology over 'phone tirade'
Hollywood star Alec Baldwin has gone online to apologise to fans for his furious voicemail message to his daughter Ireland, calling her a "thoughtless little pig", that was broadcast around the world.
"Although I have been told by numerous people not to worry too much, as all parents lose their patience with their kids, I am most saddened that this was released to the media because of what it does to a child," the 49-year-old actor wrote on his website.
"I'm sorry, as everyone who knows me is aware, for losing my temper with my child. I have been driven to the edge by parental alienation for many years now. You have to go through this to understand. I am sorry for what happened. But I am equally sorry that a court order was violated, which had deliberately been put under seal in this case."
A voicemail Baldwin left for his 11-year-old daughter, in which he can be heard calling her "a rude, thoughtless little pig", was published on Thursday by celebrity news site TMZ.com.
Baldwin and his ex-wife, actress Kim Basinger, have been engaged in bitter custody disputes over their daughter, Ireland, since the couple divorced in 2002.
"In such public cases, your opponents attempt to take a picture of you on your worst day and insist that this is who you are as a person," Baldwin wrote.
"Outside the doors of divorce court, I have friends, I have respect from people I work with and I have a normal relationship with my daughter. All of that is threatened whenever one enters a courtroom."
Meanwhile, Baldwin's lawyer, Vicki Greene, said she filed a court order "to determine how the tape got leaked and to determine whether actions should be taken against Kim Basinger, or her attorneys, or Harvey Levin (who runs TMZ.com) and anybody else associated with the leaking of the tape and the violation of the court orders to keep the proceedings closed".
Ms Greene told TV show The Insider that "anyone involved in this case should want to protect Ireland, so whatever happened was either intentional, reckless or negligent".
The matter was set for a hearing on June 5, Greene said.
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Personally, I despise this type of exposure of what should be a private matter between the parties seeking divorce; not least because an 11 year old girl has been centre-staged into a place no child should be, ever. It must be bad enough for her that the two people she best loves in the world are parting, but that she has had a personal voice mail exposed to the world by the media is appalling. I further believe that the media should be excluded from such court cases. It's not something we need to know, it's personal and private. Moreover, I think that this particular incident of the voice mail has been taken out of context regarding family life. We've all been there... I know I must have frustrated my parents beyond endurance sometimes; as patient, understanding and sympathetic as they were, there were times when, had they not been opposed to such action, I might have been soundly spanked. Certainly I have been called thoughtless by them at times, what child isn't? I remember at one time being called a 'monstrous and precocious little baggage' by an Uncle of mine. I must have been around the same age as Ireland, Alec and Kim's daughter. At no time did I ever believe that I wasn't loved during those periods. With hindsight, I Think I was a little monster at times; again, what child isn't? To expose Alec Baldwin's temporary loss of reason at what must be a very trying and unhappy time for him and his family is totally unecessary, more so just to boost ratings. Despicable!
Hollywood star Alec Baldwin has gone online to apologise to fans for his furious voicemail message to his daughter Ireland, calling her a "thoughtless little pig", that was broadcast around the world.
"Although I have been told by numerous people not to worry too much, as all parents lose their patience with their kids, I am most saddened that this was released to the media because of what it does to a child," the 49-year-old actor wrote on his website.
"I'm sorry, as everyone who knows me is aware, for losing my temper with my child. I have been driven to the edge by parental alienation for many years now. You have to go through this to understand. I am sorry for what happened. But I am equally sorry that a court order was violated, which had deliberately been put under seal in this case."
A voicemail Baldwin left for his 11-year-old daughter, in which he can be heard calling her "a rude, thoughtless little pig", was published on Thursday by celebrity news site TMZ.com.
Baldwin and his ex-wife, actress Kim Basinger, have been engaged in bitter custody disputes over their daughter, Ireland, since the couple divorced in 2002.
"In such public cases, your opponents attempt to take a picture of you on your worst day and insist that this is who you are as a person," Baldwin wrote.
"Outside the doors of divorce court, I have friends, I have respect from people I work with and I have a normal relationship with my daughter. All of that is threatened whenever one enters a courtroom."
Meanwhile, Baldwin's lawyer, Vicki Greene, said she filed a court order "to determine how the tape got leaked and to determine whether actions should be taken against Kim Basinger, or her attorneys, or Harvey Levin (who runs TMZ.com) and anybody else associated with the leaking of the tape and the violation of the court orders to keep the proceedings closed".
Ms Greene told TV show The Insider that "anyone involved in this case should want to protect Ireland, so whatever happened was either intentional, reckless or negligent".
The matter was set for a hearing on June 5, Greene said.
_________________________________________________________________________
Personally, I despise this type of exposure of what should be a private matter between the parties seeking divorce; not least because an 11 year old girl has been centre-staged into a place no child should be, ever. It must be bad enough for her that the two people she best loves in the world are parting, but that she has had a personal voice mail exposed to the world by the media is appalling. I further believe that the media should be excluded from such court cases. It's not something we need to know, it's personal and private. Moreover, I think that this particular incident of the voice mail has been taken out of context regarding family life. We've all been there... I know I must have frustrated my parents beyond endurance sometimes; as patient, understanding and sympathetic as they were, there were times when, had they not been opposed to such action, I might have been soundly spanked. Certainly I have been called thoughtless by them at times, what child isn't? I remember at one time being called a 'monstrous and precocious little baggage' by an Uncle of mine. I must have been around the same age as Ireland, Alec and Kim's daughter. At no time did I ever believe that I wasn't loved during those periods. With hindsight, I Think I was a little monster at times; again, what child isn't? To expose Alec Baldwin's temporary loss of reason at what must be a very trying and unhappy time for him and his family is totally unecessary, more so just to boost ratings. Despicable!
