Rosie Defends Baldwin's Angry Outburst

"View" Co-Host Says She Too Has Lost Her Temper With Her Kids

(CBS)  Rosie O'Donnell defended Alec Baldwin, who landed in hot water last week when an angry message he left for his daughter was released to the public.

"I have to admit I have cursed at my kids sometimes," O'Donnell said on "The View" Monday. She reenacted what she might say to one of her children, which prompted applause and laughs from the audience.

The voice mail Baldwin left for his 12-year-old daughter, Ireland, was released by the Web site TMZ last week and was splashed all over the Web and television. In it the "30 Rock" star called his daughter a "thoughtless little pig."

Baldwin and his ex-wife, actress Kim Basinger, have been in a contentious battle over custody for several years.

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Photos: Rosie O'Donnell

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"After hearing it, tears welled up in my eyes thinking what that girl had to hear," O'Donnell's co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck said on the show Monday.

"He's very much of a tortured father who feels alienated from his own child," O'Donnell said of Baldwin. "When he was doing Broadway he flew out one day a week. He's trying to connect to this kid."

"(Basinger) defies a lot of court orders for him to visit the child, which I think is making him crazy," O'Donnell continued. "Not that that's an excuse."

Hasselbeck worried about the long-term effects of the incident on Baldwin's daughter.

"Hearing something like that from your father could be potentially the worst thing you could ever hear," she said.

"He actually did go to therapy. All the things that Kim asked him to do, he did. He went to anger management. He went to — but if she — (Basinger) defied all the court orders," O'Donnell said.

When one of the hosts posed the question of whether the incident would affect Baldwin's career, O'Donnell responded, "It affects his soul."

[mzking2u]

I don't care for Rosie, but I do agree with her. As one of the chatters said, most of you are lying if you have never gotten so mad that you called your kid a name other than their legal one! It happens every day, all the time, and yes even in my household, and it hasn't done anything to my daughter's self esteem. In fact she thinks she's Miss America and we get along great, but every once in a while they **** you off and you have to put 'em in check and if that's how it came out at the time, then that's how it came out. I've been called worse than a "pig" and me & my mother are like sisters. America is to sensitive today and that's why all these kids are running wild. There's no story here

[logical_pers]

Rosie O'Donnell says the same type of things to her children? Someone call Child Services! I have raised two sons and have been very angry at them at times, but I have NEVER lowered myself to calling them ugly names or threatening them as Alec B. did. Name-calling is so bad for children's self-image. And who knows who leaked this to the press, but no one knows Alec and his temper better than Kim B. I don't blame her if she did it to protect her child. I would do anything to protect my children including breaking court orders, not answering the phone if I saw it was the "horrible father" calling. Bad situation for Kim and Ireland. Alec, shame on you...Nothing excuses your behavior and I'm sure it's not the first time.

[plainspoken1]

It's shame Rosie calls herself a mother, she has no right to verbally abuse her children. She strikes me as a dominating,control freak. That poor woman who calls herself her wife or whatever she is, has to be nuts too to put up with that loud mouth heifer. As for Alex and Kim and their spat over their daughter, someone needs to step in and take control of their child while they go to counseling to figure out what the heck they are so mad at each other for and to be taught they can't use their daughter as a battering ram to get even with each other. That child has a right to grow up HAPPY!

[jdubs63]

Ireland should not be the pawn. The Parents need to grow up.The parents need control and just hug Ireland so Ireland lots of hugs to you.
As for Ms Rosie...... Hugs your kids in silence

[justlookin70]

Just because someone goes to anger management classes or wants to connect with their child, it does not erase the abuse that has occurred in the past. Obviously, Mr. Baldwin has a history of abusive behavior. If he can call his own flesh and blood a "thoughtless little pig", I can only imagine what he has called Ms. Basinger throughout their relationship. I don't think Ms. Basinger has kept her child away from him just to be spiteful. She obviously has seen what he is capable of (and now, so have we), and while she was able to protect herself by divorcing him, she has to allow her child to be subjected to it. I don't blame her for denying court orders - they didn't live with the man and they're not responsible for the well-being of the girl. And even if she did release the tapes, I think it was an opportunity for the public (and courts) to get just a glimpse of the extent of this man's abusive behavior.

So please, stop excusing the abuser. They always have an "excuse" because it's NEVER their fault. And it's quite pathetic that Rosie would justify this kind of behavior. Isn't she supposed to be an advocate for children?

[likeitis5050]

I want to know the slime who leaked it to the press. They get to go on about their business untouched by all this controversy. I'm sure the media agreed to keep their name out of it in exchange for getting their hands on the tape. The two go hand in hand. What he did is inexcusable and he has to live with that and will never be able to totally put it behind him, thanks to the low life snake who sold him out. But what about the morals and integrity of someone who would force a child to have to deal with all the publicity surrounding her and her father over such a personal matter? And for what? Money? Revenge? This is a sicko and probably needs more help than all the Baldwins put together. This person needs to be called out and held accountable for all they have done. No one should be able to cause this kind of public humiliation and walk away with out a scratch. Sickening.

[yoopermom]

It's an invasion of privacy, detrimental to individuals, and not something I even WANT to hear about, much less hear everyone else's OPINIONS on! I say the MEDIA is to blame for this one!
Posted by VaView

Then why are you here? This is the entertainment section. No one is forcing you to read the story!

[yoopermom]

Well now we should all feel so much better. If Rosie approves of calling your 11-year-old daughter a thoughtless pig and telling her that she doesn't have the brains or decency to be a human being, then it must be OK.

[jscribe58]

If everyone who got angry at their child and said something they didn't mean had that child removed from them, no child would be with their parents. Of all the people writing in, I think some of them are human and get angry at their kid, and the rest are lying. No matter what the reasons for their divorce, Kim is obviously using the child for vengeance. Good or bad, anger problem or not, he's that little girls father - the only one she will ever have - the sooner Kim realizes that, the sooner the kid will be able to have a relationship with her father and the lawyers will syop getting all the money.

As far as Rosie's concerned, nothing but swill ever came out of her mouth - but who can blame her when someone is actually willing to pay her to spout that garbage?

[ago5675]

I think that perhaps Baldwin should marry Rosie and find out how it would feel to be berated and verbally abused. That would perhaps save all the children involved with these two lunatics who call themselves parents. Anyone can have or get children, but that doesn't make them parents. The courts in America need to wake up protect our most precious citizens, the children.

[happygotluck]

I am SSSOOOOO tired of Rosie O'Donnell!!!!!!!!
Someone needs to ducktape her mouth shut!; and NEVER let he on T.V. again!!! Rosie O'Donnell is a trouble maker and a Bully!!!!
Alex Baldwin should have NEVER left that message for Ireland. It was wrong! Do not make excuses. Alenation happens to all parents with kids that age. It just makes it worse because Alex and Kim are celebrities.

[hermit22]

(last book in old testament) Malachi 2:16
"I hate divorce," says the LORD God....
"and I hate a man's covering himself with violence....So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith."
2:17 You have wearied the LORD with your words.
"How have we wearied him?" you ask.
By saying,"All who do evil are good
in the eyes of the LORD, and he is pleased with them" or "Where is the God of justice?"

Malachi 4:5" See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes.
6.He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children,and the hearts of the children to their fathers;
or else I will come and strike the land with a curse."

Of course Rosie would think it is ok to talk to your kids that way she admitted she does the same. There is no excuse for a grown man to berate his kid because she wasn't there to answer his phone call. Gee I wonder why she didn't answer the phone. He treated his ex wife the same way . Nothing but a bully and an abuser. I don't care who leaked the tape. It was a good idea. Let the world know what he is really like to his kid. We already know how he treated Kim. I am done with his movies. How many calls like that has that kid gotten? I do not think it was the first time. Hooray for whomever put that tape out so when he drags Kim to court again and again she has something to let the judge listen to. He should lose visitation rights.

[victoriarum]

Airing your own personal laundry isn't necessary. What is necessary are the issues at hand; war and peace; intergity and trust.

Pray for unity for all to unite, a world of Peace, Joy and Love.

God Bless.

Neither Baldwin nor Basinger at this point in time have proven themselves to be worthy as parents. Ireland should be placed in Court Custody. Basinger apparently is a classic manipulator and Baldwin a loud mouthed, abusive bully.

Rosie continues to be a zero. If she thinks this behavior is a ok by her then how the hell is she treating her own kids. She cannot keep her mouth shut and just go away. She should be a troll for Osama.

[krystalball3]

You people stating that Rosie should keep her mouth shut... are you not remembering that they PAY her to say those opinions at The View? If you people don't like what she says, don't watch The View. Turn the channel. It's that simple.

[spencerkroll]

As a father going through similar circumstances, I can sympathisize with Mr. Baldwin. I have been divorced for 5 years and have 2 daughters age 10 and 7. I have been back to court with my ex-wife countless times because she restricts contact with my girls. I am not allowed to call them at their home and the court had to order her to "maintain" and "make them available" each night for a phone call on cell-phones I bought them. Now for 3 months the cell phones are "lost". Each time I replace them, their mother comes up with another way for them to lose them. So many times, I have asked to Judge to find my ex in contempt for violating court orders regarding parental alienation, denial of visitation, etc. But the Courts always re-order her to do right thing and never actually find her in contempt. So the struggle goes on and except for the times I see my daughters for visitation every other weekend (for which the mother puts so many impediments), I don't see or hear from my girls. We have JOINT CUSTODY but it seems the Courts can't correct this abuse. Trying to win full custody would only be hurtful to my girls who need and love their mom. So Alec - If you are frustrated enough to say something inappropriate on a voicemail - I feel for you. Kim has nothing on my ex.

[erasmus6]

JackSteen1

What you called Basinger is much worse than Baldwin calling his daughter a pig. I'm thinkin' you are the one with a problem.

[uab_mama]

There is no justification for Alex Baldwins actions. If he is angrey at his ex wife that is no reason to take it out on an 11 year old child.
I can't even begin to imagine how that must have hurt that child. Apparently A.Baldwin still has an anger management problem that thearpy did not change.
As for Rosie O'Donnell, If she thinks this is an acceptable or understandable mishap accident, I feel sorry for her children as well.

[tibu987]

Rosie O'Donnells acceptance of Baldwin's tirade
to his daughter says a lot about both of them.
I don't believe that either represents what a good parent should be.