On guard: Kim Basinger with daughter Ireland (right) and their bodyguard in Los Angeles

Safekeeping: A drawn looking Kim Basinger keeps her daughter close

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It was all about him. If you read anything about this guy he has a nasty temper. If I was his eleven year old child I would do everything in my power to avoid him. He is one scary jerk. He was the thoughtless pig!

- Maddyg, Seatle, USA

You cannot terrorize your children by calling them names and threatening them no matter what the circumstances. What is not being publicized and is none of our business is why the child didn't answer the call. Did she choose not to speak to him? Was she getting another call from a boy she really likes? That certainly has priority over Dad in a normal household. Was she in the tub?

Dad has a short fuse and Mom is acting out her response to his behaviour in public. We'll have to leave it to the social workers and the judge to see who is the best custodial parent at this point and go mind our own family business.

- Barbara Mathews Blanton, McKinney, Texas

The article says "Kim Basinger hired a bodyguard to protect her daughter Ireland after her ex-husband left an angry message on the girl's phone."

I don't read into it that the move was to protect the daughter from Baldwin, just to protect the daughter in general. I would say this is a prudent thing to do, after your daughter has attracted world-wide attention. I would guess that Baldwin probably agrees with it too.

- Richard, Fairfax, VA

He is the center of his world, not his daughter. His ex-wife is fighting him on his turf, for her to be "upright" and virtuous in this thing would leave her daughter at the mercies of this monster, since the courts would not have protected her daughter from this fiend and and yes he blames her for the release, but didn't the court have the tape and you think no one in all the offices connected to this judge and the court papers couldn't have released it for a small fortune.

- Pandy, River Ridge, LA

If Baldwin had kept his promise to leave this country, if George W. Bush was elected, maybe this wouldn't have happened. He should keep his word and leave today. France might take him.

- William Haws, Hot Springs, Arkansas

If you go and re-read the diatribe, it is all about HIM and his wants. This has nothing to do with his ex-wife or his daughter. I understand he was on a date and had to interrupt it to call his daughter. I would not be surprised if it was his daughter that put this out. It can not have been the first time he has talked to her like that. Divorce, unfortunately, is sometimes ugly, but no kind of explanation can undo what he said, no spin Hollywood agent can undo it. The Hollywood crowd finally has their dirty, arrogant laundry put out for the world. Maybe, the next time they go after someone they will think "What goes around, comes around".

- Trudy Bateman, Richmond, Va. USA

Mr. Baldwin should have exercised more self control. But reading, or listening, between the lines, you can hear his frustration sounds like a man who is loves his daughter and is being thwarted in his attempts to contact her. Kim deserves almost an equal portion of the blame as it appears she has created the environment that lead up to this rant. I looks as if she is doing everything she can to poison Ireland against her father when she should be making sure that she is available for the court appointed calls and visitations, instead of encouraging her to miss them.

- Jeff, Austin, Texas

It's very sad to see two selfish adults ruin this girl's life because of a nasty divorce.

- Matthew, Atlanta, GA

Mr. Baldwin just does not get it. It's not about leaking, it's about talking to a CHILD in such a disgusting manner. Losing patience and subjecting your own child to such a tirade are 2 completely different things. This is yet another Hollywood jerk who wants to tell the rest of the world how to behave. Who is the real pig?

- Fred Mann, Tennessee, USA

What a bunch of oxygen wasters. Self-centered, selfish people. Both parents, and probably the daughter, if they both act this way, why would she be different? The parents are both at fault, he shouldn't have called the girl names, the mother should have made sure the girl answered the phone to talk to Dad, and then when he left the message, the Mother should not have treated it as an opportunity to publicly humiliate the whole family. They should come to a quiet arrangement as quickly and as quietly as possible for the good of all 3 of them. Divorces are bad enough without trying to make them into a war that lasts for the rest of your life. They need to get it behind them.

- Allen, Phoenix, USA

It's obvious that Baldwin is the only parent to ever lose his temper with a child.

I mean, the odds of a parent poisoning a child against the other parent are so miniscule. That's never happened in the history of the world.

The only thing sadder than this situation is that people actually treat it like real news.

This kind of crap happens daily. And no one cares. But mom and dad are famous actors there for we have to know every intimate detail about their lives.

Get a freaking life.

- Sam, Salem, OR

He "is most saddened that this was released to the media because of what it does to a child." Are you kidding me? He seems SO clueless if he is writing that! How about; "I am most saddened by what I (a father) said to my daughter who is 11 or 12".

Does he not have ANY clue as to what he did to HIS daughter?

- Geo, Syracuse US

It is very frustrating to deal with a situation where one parent wants to keep a child from the other parent. The tape was nasty but, I believe he was talking more to her mom than to her.

- Asiseeit, Minneapolis MN

It seems that Alec Baldwin is the victim of both of these women. I hate his politics. I don't like him very much at all, but this is a set up if I ever saw one. First, the little girl obviously has been brainwashed by her mother from a very young age that Dad is a jerk. Second, she didn't hear this since that was the issue - she was not answering her phone when he had pre-arranged appointments and all he got was her voicemail. Third, the representative of the people who published this call said, "We obtained this legally. And we're SURE Ireland is okay with it." So, it seems that Mom and Daughter planned to push him 'til he blew up, then with the evidence, had Ireland turn the voicemail over to the "tabloids" so Kim, as an adult with a gag order from the court, wouldn't get in trouble for releasing this message.

As a woman, it really makes me angry when I see this kind of poison in a custody mess. As the custodial parent, it is her responsiblity to make sure Ireland has a good relationship with her father. She should have made sure that the phone appointments were kept. I've seen this type of tactic many times and it is disgusting. The bodygard is a publicity stunt and confirms my opinion of Ms. Basinger as a mother using her child to get back at her ex-spouse.

- Tracy Thomas, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

"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," he wrote.

You did it to your child. Your actions - your words. Take accountability.

- J Parish, West Branch, MI

Wow! What is she trying to do, induce psychosis in the girl? I listened to the tape: yes, he's out of line. But he is so clearly hurt by her indifference towards his efforts to be connected to her, it's sad, angry frustrated love, not "abuse". There's a threat of a stern reprimand, but I didn't read into it any intended "assault." Heavens, this was normal parenting not so long ago, disciplining kids when they were thoughtless and insensitive as Ireland behaved. This mom uses lethal tactics, almost like mind control, getting her daughter to think she's in physical danger. It will come back on her when the girl craves her dad's attention during adolescence and he isn't there. You don't get to repeatedly break a father's heart.

- Raina, Bloomfield, NM

As parents, we sometimes lose our temper. Most of us are not perfect as parents, or as human beings. I am sure that all of us are guilty of saying hurtful things to people at one time or another. It doesn't excuse Mr. Baldwin's behavior, but it does give him a chance to ask his daughter for forgiveness. I also believe the daughter owes her dad an apology. Mr. Baldwin apparently made the effort this time, and from the sound of things, other times as well, to make it a point to be available to talk with his daughter at an appointed time. Don't you think it's hurtful for him to be treated that way? I also don't see the necissity of hiring a body guard 24/7. To me, that shows that Ms. Bassinger is trying to keep things stirred up. Having legal battles over custody is very stressful and the best thing they could do is just move on and try to get along for all of their sakes. I also agree that the mother is the only one who had access to the voice mail and apparently she shared it with someone, which again is an effort to discredit Mr. Baldwin and make public what should be kept private. Why put all of the parties involved through a public airing of this?

- Dian M. Jones, Harker Heights, TX

It seems that Alec Baldwin is the victim of both of these women. I hate his politics. don't like him very much at all, but this is a set up if I ever saw one.

- Tracy Thomas, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

I guess this is how a true liberal brings up children. Didn't Alec say he was moving out of the USA if Bush got elected. Well, there's still time to move Alec.

- Steve, Phoenix, USA

Even the daughter's future multi-million dollar book deal is not worth the harm this disgraceful celebrity dad has done.

- Bob Buchanan, Amarillo Texas

Why does her daughter need a 24-hour bodyguard? She should just have a bodyguard when she is with her father.

- Annette, Piscataway, NJ USA

Thank God this was leaked to the media. Perhaps in the future, when and if Mr Baldwin ever gets a chance to see his daughter he wil act as a loving parent should, not a spoiled, inconsiderate bully. He needs anger management at the very least. Dogs at the pound are treated with more love and affection. If his daughter didn't pick up the phone, then perhaps she didn't to speak to him, judging from how he speaks to her she should never have to talk to him. Kims biggest mistake was to marry him. Good luck to her with keeping her daughter safe from him.

- Haley Richards, Los Angeles US

Looks to me as if the 11-year-old may be the most mature member of the Baldwin/Basinger family.

- Les, Lanesville, USA

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