Hilaria Baldwin and stepdaughter Ireland Baldwin have had a special relationship over the years.
Hilaria became Ireland’s stepmother following her 2012 wedding to husband Alec Baldwin. Alec was previously married to Kim Basinger. The exes welcomed Ireland in October 1995.
Ireland and Hilaria only have an 11-year age gap, which Hilaria believes makes their dynamic “unique.”
“First of all, I am 11 years older than her, I didn’t raise her and we find tremendous humor in that,” Hilaria explained in a March 2025 episode of her and Alec’s reality show The Baldwins.
While Ireland has experienced ups and downs with her dad over the years, she and Hilaria have remained on good terms. Ireland even attended Alec and Hilaria’s vow renewal ceremony in 2017. (Hilaria and Alec share seven children: sons Carmen, Rafael, Leonardo, Romeo and Eduardo and daughters María and Ilaria.)
Keep scrolling to see what Hilaria and Ireland have said about their bond over the years:
Refusing to Be a ‘Wicked Stepmother’
Before walking down the aisle with Alec, Hilaria made it clear she wanted Ireland’s blessing.
“When I met her I told Alec, ‘If she doesn’t like me, I am not staying,’” the yoga instructor said in a March 2025 episode of The Baldwins. “I [was] not going to be the wicked stepmother. My place in life is not to come into a family and cause problems.”
Ultimately, Ireland gave Hilaria her stamp of approval.
“[She] immediately welcomed me and we have never fought and it is so easy,” Hilaria said.
Her Big Blended Family
Ireland took to social media to share her thoughts when Hilaria gave birth to her seventh sibling.
“I get countless messages from people who are kind of alarmingly obsessed with my father and his family,” she wrote via Instagram in April 2022. “I think a lot of people assume my take on any of this, well here it is for free — it’s none of my business. … I don’t care.”
Forming a Friendship
Hilaria previously gushed that she was “so lucky to have an amazing dynamic” with Ireland.
“I never tried to be her mom. I think that’s really important. First of all, I’m 11 years older than her. I met her when she was 15 years old. And we are just like girlfriends,” she exclusively told Us Weekly in March 2020. “Sometimes she calls me for advice. Sometimes I call her for advice. And so we’ve never had one bad moment our entire relationship.”
1 of Hilaria’s Kids
One of the most important factors for Hilaria’s connection to her stepdaughter was making sure Ireland didn’t feel left out with her siblings.
“I think it’s a lot of me respecting boundaries,” Hilaria told Us in March 2020. “Then also having her know and, I say it to her all the time, that she’s just as important as my kids that I birthed. I think that’s very important as she went from being an only child for a really long time.”
Embracing the Stepmom Role
Hilaria opened up about what it was like for her to become a parental figure in Ireland’s life.
“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,” she wrote via Instagram in August 2019 alongside a photo of her and Ireland. “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.”
The fitness personality added that she and Ireland “love each other” dearly and are there for each other for their family’s milestones.
“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,” she continued. “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.”
Defending Hilaria Amid Accent Scandal
When Hilaria was accused of faking her Spanish accent, Ireland came to her stepmom’s defense.
“She is a good person,” she said in a December 2020 Instagram Story. “She’s a caring person who has always respected my relationship with my dad and I have a great relationship with her. … Hilaria is a wonderful mother who takes great care of her kids and she takes great care of my dad and that’s really all that matters to me.”
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