Posted on 04/27/2007 10:34:04 AM PDT by PercivalWalks
Alec Baldwin’s angry, over-the-top voice-mail tirade at his daughter, Ireland, was clearly wrong. Unfortunately, while we’ve been wringing our hands over how bad Baldwin is, we’re ignoring the case’s central truth – Kim Basinger’s well-documented parental alienation campaign against Baldwin.
Parental alienation often arises after a divorce, as one angry, vengeful parent tries to turn the children against the other parent, destroying the loving bonds the children and the target parent once enjoyed. Baldwin claims that his outburst occurred in the context of Basinger alienating Ireland and trying to drive him out of his daughter’s life.
This claim appears to have merit. In fact, Basinger’s own mother has publicly condemned her behavior. Ann Basinger, Ireland’s grandmother, calls Baldwin a “wonderful” parent, and says:
“My heart is sad for Ireland. She’s the one that’s suffering the most. All this is killing her. I think Kim has tried to alienate Ireland from her father. Alec loves his daughter with all his heart. He really is a family man . . . I hate what [Kim] is doing.”
Journalist Pat Lalama, who has covered the Baldwin-Basinger divorce and custody battle since their break-up seven years ago, recently told CNN:
“In all the years that I have covered celebrities . . . this was one of the meanest exchanges between two human beings . . . some of the things that Kim Basinger was demanding, in order to humiliate him, were outrageous . . . [Baldwin] was provoked by an angry ex, which I’m guessing is probably the case here, [and] he went over the edge.”
Earlier this year Baldwin charged that Basinger has: violated his visitation rights; interfered with his phone access to Ireland; and not notified him when she was going to be out of town so Baldwin could care for Ireland himself rather than leaving her with Basinger’s baby-sitters.
In court Baldwin produced messages that Basinger gave Ireland before Ireland’s visits with Baldwin. The messages, which were printed on candy bar wrappers, implied that Basinger had been mistreated by Baldwin and that Basinger and Ireland are aligned together.
Despite this, Baldwin has made legitimate attempts to placate Basinger in the best interests of their child. In November he even went on “Larry King Live” and praised Basinger, telling King, “I think she’s a great mother, yes, a good mom.”
In the long run, the apparent decision to leak the tape to the media – in violation of a court order – is far more damaging to Ireland than Baldwin’s angry tirade. Had the tape not been leaked, Baldwin would have apologized to Ireland, and the incident would have been soon forgotten. Instead, Ireland will be embarrassed by the incident for the rest of her childhood.
One tactic frequently employed by alienating mothers is to try to provoke the father into blowing his top by interfering with his relationship with his children. When he does, mom pretends to be scared of “his awful temper,” and gets the father’s already limited role in his daughter’s life reduced. Baldwin was foolish to play into Basinger’s hands.
As the target parent of parental alienation, Baldwin is in a very difficult and painful situation. John Stossel, in his new book Myths, Lies and Downright Stupidity: Get Out the Shovel – Why Everything You Know is Wrong, describes an example of parental alienation he filmed for his TV show:
“We videotaped one such heartbreaking scene. A divorced father went to see his five kids for what he thought would be a full-day visit. He was entitled to that, under court order, and the court also ordered the mother not to discourage the children from spending time with their father. But she clearly had poisoned his children’s minds against him. The father just stood outside his ex-wife’s house and begged his children, ‘Would you like to go out with me today?’ ‘No,’ said one kid after another. Then the mother ordered the kids back into her house.
“What comes through on the tape is the unbridled satisfaction of the mother and the helplessness of the father.”
Can any parent reading this honestly say that, were they in this father’s shoes, they would never blow their top?
Jeffery M. Leving is one of America’s most prominent family law attorneys. Glenn Sacks’ columns on men’s and fathers’ issues have appeared in dozens of the largest newspapers in the United States. www.GlennSacks.com
This low-level feminist wannabe actually got her daughters, ages 2 yrs. and 7 yrs. to say that their Dad had molested them. It was a bald faced lie beyond comprehension. She won in the courts, he is forever labeled a child molester, and the Family Court rolls right along. The FemiNazi Clintonista judge convicted him without due process and it stuck. Having witnessed all of this, I can tell you that I was not the least bit surprised that Nifong got away with his lynching of the Duke kids. I have seen what a low paid, “longing for glory” prosecutor is capable of....
This case happened in the 90’s. Our friend is remarried and has a new family. His two daughters from the first marriage are tweaker skanks. He tried his damnest, but the courts are all about the mother and he lost out on his older daughters. It was all about “Mom” even though she was never ever around. Those two girls had more babysitters than you could count. About all I can do, or anyone who knows about this one case can do, is hope to hell that they get theirs one day on the other side. Alec Baldwin is a father trying to maintain a connection to his only child. Kim Basinger released this tape to get out of her own legal misdeeds. It’s heartbreaking, but it happens every single day in the U.S.A. because men have been beaten down by the Family Court system. How many MEN stay in heinous situations just so they can protect their kids? FIVE YEARS, FIVE YEARS in a custody dispute? Somebody needs to dig deeper.
May the Lord strike me dead if I would talk to any of my daughters that way.
I can’t stand Baldwin in any way shape or form.. And the way he treated his daughter was disgusting regardless of how his exwife acted... But that being said...
I wanted to thank you and the other fathers who are fighting for their kids. My father passed away in January and I miss him so much every day. He was the most important person in my life and regardless of anything that went on in his life he never made me feel less than loved. He was a man among men, and the greatest father I could have ever hoped for. We did have our troubles in my teen years, but he NEVER gave up on me. Please... Your daughters and sons need you more than you know. I am a strong woman today, joyfully married for 20 years, and a good mother (IMHO) because my FATHER was in my life. NO ONE can take the place of a strong, good, and devoted father.
I don’t need to like or respect Alec Baldwin’s political views to feel pity for him in this situation. If the ex-wife can do this to a man of means with impunity, then the poor man has no chance of remaining in his child’s life under similar circumstances.
Baldwin’s anger over this situation is understandable. That he lashed out at his daughter, shows that he is concerned about the type of person she will become under her mother’s guidance. Petty, vengeful, etc. Maybe a future candidate for a men’s magazine, or adult film star....I’m sure dad would be so proud of that !!
I do feel bad for the child here, both parents are immature jackasses.
I agree with you. Experiencing much the same thing with a grandson - sigh.
My ex tried to line up anyone she could to testify against me as being a bad father. HER OWN PARENTS REFUSED. She did take out a restraining order to bar me from seeing the kids.....it was quickly batted down by the court...the kids just ignored it and came over anyway. In fact the moved in with me as soon as they could.
My ex tried and failed to accuse me of all sorts of things and failed. She failed because she tried to describe a person that I am not.
Baldwin is a hot head and was exposed. No one can bring out of you what is not already there.
Nice try, but I have been there and done that....it simply doesnt wash.
They actually have Guardian ad litems for children like this but they are usually liberal flakes. She seriously needs someone who has no contact with either of her parents and is fully aware of parental alienation.
I’m no Alec Baldwin fan, but figure it out people! Kim Basinger leaked that tape out with the clear, manipulative intention of trying to destroy Baldwin. Baldwin was way out of line with his comments, but in my mind, Basinger is more than likely the real source of evil in the whole family saga.
And I also can't understand a child who would reject a loving parent, either. I really can't. We all have our ups and downs with kids and parents, but I do not get abandonment.
The weakness of fathers in our society is one of the main reasons -- perhaps the most important reason -- why this country is in crisis IMHO.It's bad for men, worse for women and a complete disaster for kids. The only winners are man-hating feminists -- and who ever put them in charge, anyway? But they ARE in charge -- just look at the divorce / child support / alimony industry.
Let me make it clear that fathers who don't support (or mothers) SHOULD have the full power of the Government come down on them. But let's at least try to separate the good eggs from the bad ones. Not all of us dads are deadbeats.
That is because it is completely irrelevant to Baldwin's behavior.
where can i get one of those?
A “loving” father does NOT humiliate his daughter on national tv repeatedly. I am not surprised she didn’t want to talk to him after he mocked her on Letterman’s show.
No, of course not. But how would that paralegal get access to that message? Are you suggesting that this was given to the attorney and that a paralegal got ahold of it? Do know the kind of breach of ethics it entails? Would you retain an attorney who let this happen? If this is the case, why don't we hear more messages of cell phones of celebrities?
We are all speculating here. We do know that Baldwin is being pilloried and has been denied virtually any contact with his child. The Basinger team has already used this as a weapon to deny him total contact with the child. Who benefits here?
ping
Sure, but the only reason this article was written is because the father in question is a liberal darling.....
Replace Baldwin with Clarence Thomas and imagine the way this article would change....
When does his plane leave for France again?
You missed, "moved her place of residence/pickup spot without telling you, thus completely eliminating your ability to see your child for months at a time." You also missed had "your 7 year old taking MORE drugs and of greater quantities that Crystal Magnum had in her system." You also missed "accused/filed in court that you AND your new wife committed child abuse". You also missed "filed false police reports stating you are selling drugs out of you home." You also missed, "made multiple reports to Child Protective Services stating you have abused/NEGLECTED your child, your home is a crack house, your home is a meth lab." You also missed "had her current boyfriend call your work/home and come to your front door and issue death treats against you and your family."
All of what you mentioned, and what I just mentioned, I have been through. There is no doubt in my mind that Bassinger is an evil manipulative beyotch. And I, like Baldwin, am a total hothead. My pseudonym is not who I am, it is who I want to be.
In spite of everything I went/am going through, I never left threatening messages on my ex's phone calling her or my son names.
Baldwin is getting to experience the world he helped create and nurture. These Hollywood a-holes have dedicated their lives to supporting democrat socialism for all us minions. And now they bitch, and expect us to be empathetic when this same system that they continue to blindly support treats them exactly as it treats us regular people.
Given this and the Henry Hyde comments, which I watched live as it happend, Baldwin and Bassinger can both rot in hell as far as I am concerned. This poor girl is going to have to die from a drug overdose before these two selfish retards can even attempt to come to understand the damage they are JOINTLY causing this girl.
Hey, Alec, if you want to get even with Kim Bassinger, just leak to the press the court ordered physiactric report done on you and her. That will bring her crazy arse into negotiations faster than you can call for the murder of a Republican politician.
Sounds like there are three children in that family. Two of them are the parents.
"Next time, Jack, write a goddam memo -- and don't take a dump without a plan."
Alec's Jacobinite call for an assassination was utterly despicable.
“The weakness of fathers in our society is one of the main reasons—perhaps the most important reason—why this country is in a crisis IMHO. It’s bad for men, worse for women, and a complete disaster for kids...”
Truer words were never spoken. We have the perfect example of that in Philadelphia where by 11 p.m. Tuesday they had 127 homicides so far this year, with 11 just last weekend. These are mostly young black men shooting, with many innocents being in the wrong place at the wrong time. In almost every case, the mother is the one grieving, rarely is a father present or mentioned. In my opinion, the anger these young men feel over being truly abandoned by their fathers consumes their entire short lives.
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