More than a decade of romance. Alec Baldwin first met wife Hilaria Baldwin (née Thomas) in 2011, and she’s been by his side ever since.
The two met by chance at a New York City restaurant in February of that year.
“I wandered into Pure Food and Wine on Irving Place, on an unseasonably warm February evening,” the Saturday Night Live performer recalled via Instagram eight years after they first met. “My friend, [Brendan O’Connell] and I sat down (outside!) and as I turned to my left I saw a woman who would change my life. Entirely. 8 years today. Thanks for all you’ve given me. You are a gift.”
In a joint interview the following year, they revealed that the 30 Rock alum approached the yoga instructor and didn’t ask for her number. Instead, he gave her his card and told her to call him.
“I was standing near the door with my friends when he walked up and took my hand and said, ‘I must know you,’” Hilaria told The New York Times in July 2012. After his future wife mustered up the courage to call him, she got his voicemail. They went on a date a few days later — and it didn’t take long for sparks to fly. The two were officially dating by spring and moved in together within a few months.
Their 26-year age difference (his was born in 1958 while she was born in 1984) was a big concern for the “Mom Brain” podcast host initially, but the filmmaker noticed her maturity right away — especially when she made it perfectly clear what she wanted from a relationship.
“While she was in no hurry, she was very mature and clear about what she wanted — to be married someday,” he recalled.
Alec was previously married to Kim Basinger for nearly 20 years until they divorced in 2002. In 1995, the pair welcomed daughter Ireland Baldwin.
Hilaria, who shares six children with her husband, opened up about being a stepmother to Alec’s eldest daughter in April 2019.
“Sometimes my language about my biological children does not include her. Because I did not birth her and I never want to disrespect the fact that she has a wonderful mother,” the fitness guru shared via Instagram amid criticism that she didn’t speak much about Ireland. “But this will never take away from how much I love her, need her in my life, and think that she is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. Please don’t look for trouble where there is none.”
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Scroll down to see Alec and Hilaria’s relationship from the beginning: