Kim Basinger Reveals How Serious Her Agoraphobia Really Was
Kim Basinger is known for her roles in Hollywood hits like "L.A. Confidential" and the 1989 "Batman" film. But perhaps the biggest headline-making aspect of Basinger's life was her marriage to actor Alec Baldwin and their subsequent divorce. In the '90s, Basinger and Alec were one of the "it" couples. The pair wed in 1993, but sadly, things came crashing down in 2000 when Basinger and Alec separated. The couple shares one child together, model Ireland Baldwin, and it's hard to believe that Alec was married to anyone else before Hilaria Baldwin.
Basinger and Alec went through a very public divorce and nasty custody battle. Luckily, the two have come a long way from all of the drama and they have a good relationship today. "Divorce is hard on a kid, no matter how you cut it. And ours was very public and nasty. So I brought up Ireland in a very unconventional way," she told The Edit by Net-A-Porter (via People). Basinger also added that they're "cool now, though," and "life goes on." In May 2021, Basinger also proved they had a good, joking relationship when she commented on one of Alec's Instagram that captured him lounging with his kids, writing (via Today), "so cute...... them I mean ...."
And while Basinger has come a long way in her divorce with Alec, there's still another aspect of her life that has weighed heavy on her for quite some time — her battle with agoraphobia.
Kim Basinger 'wouldn't leave the house' amid battle with agoraphobia
Kim Basinger is getting real about her battle with agoraphobia. According to People, the "L.A. Confidential" actor will appear on Jada Pinkett Smith's talk show, "Red Table Talk" with daughter Ireland Baldwin in late April. During the interview, Basinger opened up about her struggles with agoraphobia, which is an "anxiety disorder that causes excessive fear of certain situations," per Cleveland Clinic. "I wouldn't leave the house. I would no longer go to dinner," Basinger shared. The star added that it was "really horrible" to go through what she did "as fiercely as [she] did during those years and not know what it was."
If the condition itself wasn't bad enough to deal with, there was a lot of aftermath. "I had to relearn to drive, and for many years I would not go through the tunnels at Malibu," Basinger revealed. "Everything used to make me nervous, like the glass [sliding] to open the door, or, 'Where do I step to open the door?' Everything became a big job to figure out how to do it." She also said that the condition caused her to be "shaky" and have a "dry mouth" most of the time.
This is not the first time that Basinger has talked about agoraphobia. She also spoke of the condition in the documentary "Panic: A Film About Coping," per New York Post, saying that she's dealt with agoraphobia for her "entire life." She also said she "stayed in my house and literally cried every day." We can't imagine how hard that had to be!
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.