Hilaria Baldwin Opens Up About Navigating Relationships with Stepdaughter Ireland and Kim Basinger

While appearing on the podcast Not Skinny But Not Fat, the 41-year-old mother of seven shared how she allowed Ireland to decide the direction of her relationship with husband Alec Baldwin.

“I told Alec before I met her [Ireland], I said, ‘If she doesn’t like me, I’m not gonna stay because I can’t hurt a family,'” Hilaria recalled of the early days of their relationship. “And he gets mad. He’s all mad at me then. He gets mad at me when I say it now.”

She continued, “Always be respectful about her mom,” referring to Ireland’s mom and Alec’s ex, Kim Basinger.

“Always understand that it’s Alec, Ireland and Kim. And I can come in and be a guest. And if I’m welcomed in, wonderful, I’m there,” she added. “But I have to be strong enough on my own and not come in and, you know, mark my territory and all that kind of stuff.”

Obviously things worked out between the pair, as Hilaria welcomed seven children with the actor, emphasizing how the “family unit is the most important thing.”

Throughout the years, Hilaria and Ireland have formed a strong relationship.

“Ireland has really seen me, and Ireland has seen how much I care about her dad and her family and her,” Hilaria explained.

“And we’ve been so blessed to have a wonderful relationship. And that’s not just being blessed and lucky,” she continued. “It’s also, you know, walking that line of being a stepmom and coming into her life when she’s 15, 16 years old. And I was just always very clear that I’m there to be supportive when she needs me.”

She recalled Ireland being “extraordinarily welcoming” from the “beginning.”

In September, Ireland took to Instagram to defend and praise her stepmother, sharing a photo of them together. 

“I think if people actually knew her the way I do, they would be quite surprised,” Ireland began in the post.

“She is the reason I get to have siblings/a big family that I’ve always wanted. She has always respected me, accepted my flaws, embraced me, and has always shown me kindness. I met her as a teenager and I needed her as an example. I still very much look up to her now,” Ireland added to the post before sharing how proud she is of her stepmom on Dancing with the Stars.