Baldwin, Basinger: Custody Truce

Thu., Mar. 4, 2004 11:30 AM PST by Lia Haberman

A custody truce has been declared between embattled exes Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger.

Earlier this week, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge persuaded the onetime twosome to resolve their bitter custody battle over eight-year-old daughter Ireland.

Last week, when the case kicked off, the judge closed the doors to the press and had imposed a gag order on all matters relating to custody and visitation. Still, some details have leaked out.

New York-based Baldwin reportedly wanted an "equal share" of parenting rights with Basinger, who lives in California.

According to Celebrity Justice, the judge ruled in the actor's favor on Monday.

In happier times, the Marrying Man costars were inseparable offscreen. They wed in August 1993, a union that produced their only child. Basinger filed for divorce in 2001, citing "irreconcilable differences." Her father later chalked the split up to Alec's fiery temper.

Until now, Basinger, 51, had custody of Ireland, and Baldwin, 45, had visitation rights.

But the Hunt for Red October star was unhappy with the arrangement and sued his ex-wife for custody after learning that an independent evaluator had recommended that she retain full custody of Ireland, according to published reports.

While neither of the celebs' attorneys would comment on the outcome of the hearing, Baldwin's lawyer, Dennis Wasser, said, "Alec is very happy this is resolved."

Meanwhile, a rep for Basinger was less than enthused. "It would be crass to say she's happy. When it comes to the welfare of a child, neither parent can be happy at the other's expense."

With the custody battle behind them, the actors can get back to their day jobs. Baldwin, a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nominee for The Cooler (he lost out to Tim Robbins last weekend), recently appeared in the Ben Stiller-Jennifer Aniston comedy Along Came Polly and will next be seen in Martin Scorsese's epic biopic of Howard Hughes, The Aviator, due out in November.

Basinger, herself a Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner for L.A. Confidential, has three films in the pipeline for 2004: the family drama Door in the Floor, the thriller Cellular and the romantic comedy Elvis Has Left the Building.