Alec Baldwin's Daughter Ireland Had A Lonely Childhood

Ireland Baldwin dealt with tragedy in her younger years, but she isn't staying quiet about the subject. Opening up about her childhood in a Substack post titled "30, Flirty, and Surviving," the daughter of Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger explained how she no longer stays in touch with some of her toxic relatives, who she called (via the Daily Mail) "my narcissistic, unreliable, addict family members who I thought I needed in my life."

Ireland said she endured a "lonely childhood," without siblings or a two-parent household — Alec and Basinger divorced in 2002, when their daughter was 7 years old. Thus, she grew up feeling like she needed to go out of her way to please the people in her family. "For whatever reason, their validation and praise was meaningful to me," wrote Ireland, who didn't go into detail about who she was referring to. "Nothing was more freeing than finally realizing how poisonous these people are."

The model and mom of one also reflected on having her own daughter, Holland, whom she shares with her boyfriend, musician RAC. Ireland said she will shield her daughter from the family members she no longer speaks to. This could be an indication of who she is (or isn't) talking about.

Even without naming names, it is difficult not to assume Ireland Baldwin is referring to her father, Alec Baldwin, considering their complicated relationship over the years. In a March 2023 episode of his and wife Hilaria Baldwin's reality show, "The Baldwins," Alec explained how his nasty and tragic divorce from Kim Basinger affected his daughter. "My relationship with my daughter Ireland was so negatively impacted by my divorce from her mother," he said (via Today). The actor specifically cited his and Basinger's ruthless custody battle as "one of my most regrettable things about the whole thing." Still locked in a custody battle with Ireland's mom in 2007, Alec made headlines after leaving a voicemail for his 11-year-old daughter, calling her a "thoughtless" and "rude little pig" after she missed their scheduled call, per Entertainment Now. Ireland has since laid bare that she forgave her father for the name-calling. "It took a lot of time and a lot of therapy," Ireland told Entertainment Tonight in 2020. Although she "loves" and "respects him," Ireland admitted to keeping him at arm's length.

It is hard to say whether she is subtly snubbing her father in her Substack. Ireland mentioned that her daughter wouldn't have a relationship with the relatives she was speaking about, but Alec seems to be a present grandfather in Holland's life. Additionally, Ireland has discussed her strong relationship with her stepmom, Hilaria, who helped reunite the father and daughter. "Hilaria is the reason I am able to have the close relationship with my father that I do," Ireland wrote in a September 2025 Instagram post. Nonetheless, we're glad to hear Ireland is using her next decade to heal.