+the news

Alec Baldwin's daughter: 'I want to move on from voicemail scandal'

Written by . Published: April 30 2013

Ireland Baldwin has defended her decision to follow her parents into the spotlight, insisting she doesn't want to be remembered for her father Alec's infamous voicemail scandal.


Ireland Baldwin, whose mother is actress Kim Basinger, was just 11 years old when she was caught up in a headline-grabbing incident in 2007 when her famous father branded her a "rude thoughtless little pig" in a leaked voicemail message.


The actor subsequently admitted he contemplated suicide after the scandal, and now Ireland, 17, has spoken out to declare she wants her newly-launched modelling career to mark a fresh start.


In an open letter posted on her blog, she writes, "I get hateful replies and threats regarding mistakes of my Dad's past. This isn't fair. I had nothing to do with anything that happened back then, so I don't fully understand why I am being targeted. More importantly, my Dad has moved on. He recognised that he needed to change, so he made changes. He is now healthy, happily married with a baby on the way. He moved on, so why can't you?...


"I am not seeking fame by association... I am proud to be my parent's daughter, but I don't want to forever be known as 'that rude thoughtless little pig' or 'Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger's kid.' I have passions and interests of my own that I want to soon give life to."


Ireland also reveals she has received a barrage of criticism since stepping into the spotlight, and urges her detractors not to be so nasty.


She adds, "I get those comments about how I am too fat to model, how I am not model material, how I am an unattractive girl... I don't look as glamorous as (model) Rosie Huntington-Whiteley... What is the good in commenting on a photo of a 17-year-old girl and calling her fat, ugly, etc?... Putting that out there is hateful and unhealthy. If you don't have a complimentary thing to say about someone, keep it to yourself."

Error! Unable to retrieve any Images!