Hilaria Baldwin Defends Her Relationship with 23-Year-Old Stepdaughter Ireland

Kimberly Truong
Updated

Hilaria Baldwin may not always discuss what it's like to be a stepmother, but it's a big part of her life — and she's shutting down critics who have insinuated that she doesn't care for her stepdaughter as much as she does her biological children.

I rarely address being a stepmom, but it is part of our family. I always want to deal with it with such care...so often you hear horror stories about evil stepparents and I wanted to make sure I did right by the family I was stepping into when I married Alec. I love my stepdaughter as much as I love my biological children and I become a mommy lioness when I see comments that insinuate otherwise. Having a stepchild is a delicate matter. Especially one who is grown. I think my relationship with her has been so successful because I never tried to step in as her mommy. She has a good mother, who I have tremendous respect for...and I put myself in Kim’s shoes: if my children ever had a stepmother, I’d want her to let me be number one. When I met Ireland, I said to Alec: if she is not ok with our relationship, I cannot go further. Family is first and she needed to be ok with me. We have never had a fight or a bad moment. Nor have I with her mother. Ireland and I love each other and she knows that I am here for her...and I know that she is here for me. I am inspired by her, look up to her (not just height wise 😂)...she gave her father away at our wedding, is the best big sister anyone could ask for...and I give her space. I don’t ever expect her to be anyone other than herself. As someone who loves her, my job was not to step in and take over...but rather respect what had been for the first 15 years of her life and then become a part of that, in a way that works for everyone. So yes, sometimes my language about my biological children does not include her. Because I did not birth her and I never want to disrespect the fact that she has a wonderful mother. But this will never take away from how much I love her, need her in my life, and think that she is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. Please don’t look for trouble where there is none. Love you @irelandbasingerbaldwin ...ps after writing this and using the word “step” so many times, I think I know why it is called a “stepparent” now 😂🤪🤔

A post shared by Hilaria Thomas Baldwin (@hilariabaldwin) on Apr 18, 2019 at 8:59am PDT

Hilaria married Alec Baldwin in 2012; before that, the actor was married to actress Kim Basinger from 1993 to 2002, and they have one daughter, model Ireland Baldwin.

She went on to say that having a stepchild is a "delicate matter," and that she thinks their relationship is so successful because she has immense respect for Basinger.

"When I met Ireland, I said to Alec: if she is not ok with our relationship, I cannot go further," she wrote. "Ireland and I love each other and she knows that I am here for her...and I know that she is here for me."

Love to see it. #CommentsByCelebs

A post shared by Comments By Celebs (@commentsbycelebs) on Apr 18, 2019 at 1:05pm PDT

"I am inspired by her, look up to her (not just height wise)," she joked, adding that the only reason she doesn't talk about Ireland as much as she does her biological children is because she doesn't want to "disrespect the fact that she has a wonderful mother."

"This will never take away from how much I love her, need her in my life, and think that she is one of the best things that has ever happened to me," she concluded. "Please don’t look for trouble where there is none."

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Ireland herself, commented on the post, joking, "I prayed for two lesbian moms from the womb but having two moms this way will do."

There you have it: it's nothing but love in the Baldwin household.