Baldwin, Basinger quibble over custody
From sandy Cohen

LOS ANGELES—Kim Basinger was back in court, quibbling over custody matters in her ongoing battle with ex-husband Alec Baldwin. The couple share joint custody of their 10-year-old daughter, Ireland. Moments after Basinger entered the courtroom Tuesday, Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Maren Nelson barred the press and public. Baldwin, who lives in New York, didn’t attend the hearing.
The 52-year-old actress emerged nearly two hours later, wearing the same dark glasses and emotionless expression she had on the way in. Her lawyer, Neal Hersh, refused to discuss the particulars of the case. Nelson’s decision and related case documents were sealed, lawyers said.
“Kim is respectful of what the judge did and she’s pleased with today,” Hersh said. “We’re hopeful this will be the end of it.” Baldwin’s lawyer, Vicki Greene, said she was “very pleased with the judge’s thoroughness.” No future hearings have been scheduled, she said.
Basinger and Baldwin, 47, have been fighting over custody issues since January 2004. On Nov. 1, they traded barbs through their lawyers, flinging accusations of emotional instability as they argued over their rights to telephone and e-mail time with their daughter.
Greene refused to characterize the couple’s relationship as acrimonious, however, and Hersh said Basinger’s dealings with Baldwin have improved. “(Baldwin) has a right to parent his daughter,” Greene said, noting custody arrangements can be modified until a child becomes an adult. “When he comes to court, it’s because he feels it’s an important issue that needs attention.”
The couple were married Aug. 19, 1993. They separated in 2000 and divorced in 2002. Basinger won an Oscar for 1997’s “L.A. Confidential.” Baldwin was nominated for an Oscar for 2003’s “The Cooler”.