Baldwingate: Parents at daughter's school defend him

By Tom Tapp

In the midst of a full-blown media frenzy over an audio file of an angry phone message he left daughter Ireland, Alec Baldwin showed up at the Los Angeles-area private school she attends this morning.

But she wasn't there, apparently kept home by mother Kim Basinger.

Despite the seemingly damning voice recording, in which Baldwin calls his daughter a "pig" and threatened to "straighten your ass out," those around the school weren't disturbed to see the actor.

"Things taken out of context can sound horrible," said one mother whose child also attends the school (which will go unnamed). She says most there, including the school's administration, feel the whole imbroglio has been "taken out of context." Baldwin, they say, is a good parent.

"We have a fair each year and he's here just like all the other parents," she says. "He puts up signs. He helps set up. He's not a prima donna. He participates financially (too, but) he actually does things....like volunteers in the classroom.

In fact, she says, "When he was working on it, he took the whole class to see 'Cat in the hat.' "

So how to explain his words?

According to one father, Baldwin was upset because part of his custody arrangement involves daily, half-hour phone calls with Ireland. The calls are so important to the actor that, says the parent, the actor has the half hour window written into his movie contracts. With his daughter not making the call for three days running, Baldwin blew his stack.

"This father is mad because he cannot participate in his daughter's life," says the mother. "If any parent is going to get mad at their child, that's one of the better reasons and it's understandable after not talking to her for three days."

She went on to say the worst part about the whole experience is not what Baldwin's words might have done to the child, but the effect the media storm has had.

"His daughter did not come to school today," says the mother. "That does more damage than what he said to her." Now on her return she must know that "every single person here is talking about it." The mother says that kind of public airing of dirty laundry is much tougher on a child.