Once upon a time, Kim Basinger was the very definition of a household name. She starred in Tim Burton’s first Batman movie, which was pretty much the 1989 equivalent of heading a major Marvel film. All these days later, though, Basinger has largely faded into obscurity.
Like most celebs who become yesterday’s news, Basinger’s vanishing act is partly due to her own decisions and partly due to circumstances beyond her control. Just what has the legendary actor been up to, and what caused her to drop from our radar in the first place? Keep reading to find out!
Dealing with agoraphobia
Sometimes, the simplest explanations are the best ones. As for Kim Basinger, she has a very simple reason for not appearing in public as much as she once did. You see, she suffers from agoraphobia, a special form of anxiety that can make a person reluctant to even leave their own home.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Basinger vividly recalls a grocery shopping incident that led her into temporary seclusion. “My basket was almost full, and I found something really overcoming me in such a way that I couldn’t breathe,” she said. “So I left the basket, and I made it to my car, and that was the last time I drove for almost six, seven months.”
Believe it or not, this is just one of the many incidents that caused Kim Basinger to fade from public life!
Divorce from Alec Baldwin made her reclusive
In addition to being a major movie star in her own right, Kim Basinger was made that much more famous by her marriage to Alec Baldwin. Since they are both major cinematic celebrities, the press followed them wherever they went. And when their marriage began to break down, the paparazzi captured much of it, turning what should have been a private affair into a very public mess.
The press made sure we knew all about their loud public arguments and nasty custody battle for their child, Ireland Baldwin. By the time the divorce was finalized, additional attention was the last thing that Basinger needed. By retreating from the public eye, she can have now what she so rarely had during marriage: privacy.
Crazy financial decisions
Despite being a major star in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, Kim Basinger filed for bankruptcy in 1993. What was it that caused this financial fallout? Two poor decisions: buying a small Georgia Town and backing out of the movie Boxing Helena.
The town in question was Braselton, Georgia, and Basinger was one of several celebrities who bought the entire town for a cool $20 million. They hoped to turn it into a profitable tourist trap, but that never happened, making this investment a bust. Worse, after Basinger backed out of the movie, she was successfully sued for violating a verbal contract. She ultimately paid $3.8 million in a settlement, which combined with her investment mistake to render her flat broke.
Prioritizing her mental health
Because celebrities are so rich and famous, it’s easy to forget they suffer from many of the same vulnerabilities. Kim Basinger, for example, felt overworked and overstressed after years of being a Hollywood bigshot. That’s when she realized something simple: if focusing on her career was hurting her mental health like this, she could improve it simply by stepping back.
And that’s exactly what she did. As reported by the Daily Mail, she previously discussed how stressful her life could be. “In this business, you can be at the top of the world and at the bottom of the barrel, and you’re grape juice. I’ve been at both ends,” she said. But focusing less on her career created a profound change inside her: “Now I wake up and enjoy life,” she gushed. “I didn’t want to live on drugs.”
Activism keeps her busy
When a celeb does stop focusing on acting, their fans have a natural question: “what are they doing now?” Some celebs become utter recluses and never make it outside if they can avoid it. While Kim Basinger’s anxiety has made her more reclusive in her later years, she still makes it out and about to engage in one of her favorite activities: activism.
Basinger’s activism began when she was one of the first major celebs to model for PETA’s “I’d rather go naked than wear fur,” bringing plenty of attention to this animal rights organization. She has also appeared in public service announcements in California advocating for animal rights. In 2019, she traveled to South Korea to convince locals and their politicians to stop eating dogs and cats for food.
Focusing on being a grandmother
When it comes to very recent history, Kim Basinger has a very happy reason to be out of the Hollywood limelight. That’s because, as of 2023, she has become a grandmother, something she treats like a full-time job.
Her daughter Ireland Baldwin and her boyfriend RAC (André Allen Anjos) had a baby girl in May 2023. As you can tell from this Instagram video, Basinger was born to be a doting grandma. Now, just one question: did she tell Elmo she knows Batman?