Judge Bans Media From Baldwin Court Row

The latest round in the Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin's court hearing has been held in private after the presiding judge said their daughter found the public row "emotionally traumatic". The pair, who divorced almost five years ago, are in a long running bitter custody battle over 11-year-old Ireland, with the row escalated two weeks ago when Baldwin was heard in a leaked phone message calling the girl a "thoughtless pig". Superior Court Commissioner Maren Nelson said the media were banned to protect "the well-being of the child".closing Friday's session to the public soon after it began and sealed records filed in connection with the hearing. Basinger was present at the hearing but Baldwin was not, saying he feared his comments would be leaked to the media. There were reports that the hearing was held to decide whether to alter Baldwin's visiting rights in the wake of the tape revelation. Basinger's lawyer Neal Hersh said a decision was reached but he would not reveal the outcome. "We are very, very pleased with the judge's thoughtful decision about what happened here today," he said afterwards. Baldwin's lawyer Vicki Greene said the leaking of the voicemail was "not appropriate, and it's not in Ireland's best interest, and it will be with her for the rest of her life".

A further hearing will be held on 5 June to investigate who leaked the tape.

The actor's rant, in which he accused his daughter of humiliating him, was apparently sparked by his repeated failure to reach her by telephone.

The message said: "You don't have the brains or the decency as a human being... I don't give a damn that you're 12 years old or 11 years old or that you're a child or that your mother is a thoughtless pain in the ass."

He also threatened to "straighten your ass out" during a forthcoming visit.

As we reported earlier Baldwin recently appeared on US TV to apologise for his rant. In an earlier statement, he said he was "driven to the edge by parental alienation for many years".