Kim Basinger was an incredibly popular actress during the 1980s and 1990s. She was known
for her classic Hollywood style and starred in numerous iconic films, including Batman,
Never Say Never Again, and L.A. Confidential. Despite her fame, the actress has been largely
away from the public spotlight in recent years. A string of financial setbacks has left the
actress almost destitute. This starkly contrasts her previous status as an A-list celebrity
with a net worth of $5.5 million. Join FactsVerse as we fill you in on the details of Kim's
fall from grace.
Rise to fame Kim Basinger is a highly celebrated American
actress and former fashion model. Born in Athens, Georgia, in 1953, Basinger showed
an early interest in the arts, particularly music, and ballet. However, her stunning good
looks caught the attention of scouts from the Ford Modeling Agency, who signed her up
at the age of 16.
Basinger quickly became one of the most sought-after models of the 1970s, working for top brands
such as Revlon and Breck. However, she soon realized that her true passion lay in acting,
and she began taking acting classes while still modeling. Her career was in full swing
during the 1980s and 1990s, and she quickly became recognized as one of Hollywood's leading
actresses. Her stunning good looks and undeniable talent made her a favorite among both moviegoers
and critics alike.
After making her feature film debut in the drama Hard Country (1981), Basinger appeared
in several made-for-TV films, including a remake of From Here to Eternity (1979). However,
her big break came in 1983 when she portrayed Bond girl Domino Petachi in Never Say Never
Again. Her outstanding performance cemented her position as a rising star in Hollywood
and was much lauded.
Basinger's career continued to soar with her role in the 1984 film The Natural, for which
she received a Golden Globe nomination. She followed this up with another iconic performance
in the erotic drama 9½ Weeks (1986), which showcased her versatility as an actress.
In 1989, Basinger portrayed Vicki Vale in Tim Burton's Batman, which became the highest-grossing
film of her career. Her performance was praised by critics, and it helped to cement her status
as one of the most sought-after actresses of the time.
Throughout the 1990s, Basinger continued to work on a variety of film projects, including
the critically acclaimed L.A. Confidential (1997), for which she received numerous award
nominations. She also appeared in The Door in the Floor (2004), which was based on John
Irving's novel, A Widow for One Year.
Failed projects
In the late 1980s, Kim Basinger was at the height of her Hollywood career. However, she
embarked on a couple of projects that didn't bring back the expected results, despite their
ambitious nature. One of those projects was the purchase of a town - a move that was considered
unusual even by Hollywood standards. Braselton, a town in Georgia, was the target of Kim's
investment.
Previously owned by the Braselton family for over 113 years, the 2,000-acre town needed
a facelift, and Kim saw an opportunity to boost its profile. She partnered with a pension
fund called AmeriTech (now owned by AT&T) to buy the town. Together, they invested $20
million, with Kim contributing $600,000 of her own money to the project. However, with
Kim filing for bankruptcy, players involved with the project began to grow cold feet,
and below long, the deal fell through. Despite her good intentions, Kim couldn't lead the
town to the Utopian vision she had for it. Kim had hoped to inject the town with some
life, intending to host film festivals and other Hollywood events there. The town, which
had dealt with constant hard times throughout its history, did not receive the investment
it needed, and Kim's efforts to bring business and opportunities to rural parts of the "fly-over"
states were unsuccessful. The property was later resold for just $4.3 million, resulting
in a considerable loss for the investors.
Although the sale of the town resulted in a massive financial loss for Kim and AmeriTech,
the small town eventually received the facelift it had been longing for. The new owners invested
the perfect blend of capital, time, and effort into the town, and it has since transformed
into a bustling destination. Presently, it draws 500,000 visitors annually due to its
winery and resort and serves as a distribution center for prominent brands such as Whole
Foods, Williams-Sonoma, and Hitachi. As a result, the town that once faced financial
struggles is now a thriving community that has become a beacon for businesses and tourists
alike.
Another project that Kim undertook, which didn't go as planned, was the movie "I Dreamed
of Africa." In 2000, Basinger starred in the big-screen adaptation of Kuki Gallmann's memoir,
which told the true story of a single mother who risked everything to move to Kenya with
her son in pursuit of adventure and a new start. Kim found the experience of making
the movie on location to be life-changing. However, the movie failed to resonate with
critics, with the majority of them describing it as dull and failing to entertain. The whole
project cost $50 million but only managed to pull in $14 million at the worldwide box
office.
Expensive divorce Kim's fairytale romance with Alec Baldwin
turned into a nightmare that cost her millions. Kim and Alec Baldwin were two famous Hollywood
celebrities who were once romantically involved. They first met while filming the movie "The
Marrying Man" in 1990, and their on-screen chemistry quickly turned into a real-life
romance. The couple married in 1993 and had their first child, a girl named Ireland, in
1995.
Despite the apparent happiness of their marriage, their relationship was not as perfect as it
seemed. The couple started to experience problems in their marriage, and eventually, they separated
in 2000. The split led to a highly publicized and contentious custody battle over their
daughter, which lasted for six long years.
The divorce was also reported to be one of the most expensive in Hollywood history, with
both parties spending more than $3 million each on legal fees. The high cost of the divorce,
combined with the bitter custody battle, took a toll on their public image and career prospects.
During the legal proceedings, Kim and Alec exchanged insults and accusations in public
and court, which further damaged their reputations. However, in 2007, the former couple finally
settled their divorce and custody issues and have since attempted to mend their relationship
for the sake of their daughter.
Filing for bankruptcy In the early 1990s, Kim Basinger was a high-profile
actress with a successful career in Hollywood. However, she also had her fair share of controversies
during this time. One of the most notable controversies involved her role in the movie
"Boxing Helena."
Directed by Jennifer Lynch, the daughter of famed filmmaker David Lynch, "Boxing Helena"
was a highly controversial film that was originally intended to star Madonna. However, after Madonna
backed out, Basinger was cast in the title role. The movie tells the story of a woman
named Helena who gets her limbs amputated by a surgeon after a car accident and is then
held captive in a box.
Basinger had concerns about the script from the beginning and requested that it be edited
to make her character more sympathetic. However, she remained unsatisfied with the final version
and ultimately backed out of the movie, breaching her contract with the studio.
During her 1993 trial, Basinger revealed that she had shared the script with 15 or 20 people
in the entertainment industry and had received overwhelmingly negative feedback, which was
why she backed out. The actress was found guilty of breach of contract with Main Line
Pictures, who estimated a loss of $6.4 million in potential domestic and foreign sales due
to Basinger dropping out. As a result, Basinger was ordered to pay $7.4 million in damages,
according to Variety.
In late May of 1993, with the $7.4 million judgment against her looming, Basinger filed
for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Her lawyer, Howard Weitzman, revealed that her net worth was
only $5 million, so she had no choice but to file. By filing for bankruptcy, Basinger
avoided the immediate seizure of her assets.
However, in September 1994, the California Court of Appeals overturned the judgment that
ruled in favor of Main Line Pictures. The court ruled that the instructions given to
the jury were "prejudicially ambiguous" and did not make it clear whether Basinger or
her production company would be liable for damages. The court also found that the damages
awarded to Main Line Pictures were excessive.
The lawsuit between Basinger and Main Line Pictures was finally settled in December 1995,
with Variety reporting that the final figure was less than half the amount of the original
judgment.
Appearing unrecognizable Kim recently attended her daughter Ireland
Baldwin's baby shower at Jumbo's Clown Room in Hollywood, looking almost unrecognizable.
Exiting the strip club-themed party, the 69-year-old actress was seen wearing a dark grey suit
paired with a black button-up and black dress shoes. She walked alongside her boyfriend,
hairstylist Mitch Stone, hand-in-hand.
However, Basinger's minimal makeup and radiant, nearly wrinkle-free appearance left some speculating
whether she had undergone plastic surgery. The Evening Standard, a UK publication, claimed
in 2006 that Basinger, who was 52 at the time, had an extremely wrinkle-free forehead and
her lips appeared plumper than usual during a press conference for "The Mermaid Chair."
There were also rumors in 2011 that she had been seen leaving a plastic surgeon's office
in Beverly Hills, with Radar Online reporting that she looked almost unrecognizable entering
the building. Despite these rumors, Basinger has never confirmed
undergoing plastic surgery. Her daughter, Ireland, has previously claimed that her mom
is all-natural. In a 2012 Instagram post, Baldwin captioned a since-deleted picture
of her mom, praising her for having a naturally beautiful face.
She also advocated for women who want to avoid Botox and other skin treatments to listen
to her mom, who had never had one treatment done due to staying out of the sun all these
years.
Kim Basinger, who became a recluse due to her agoraphobia, has been the subject of various
plastic surgery rumors over the years. However, whether she has undergone any procedures or
not, it is clear that the actress continues to have a striking appearance and an alluring
charm, which has captivated audiences for decades.
Kim's current financial predicaments can be attributed to her failed projects, her expensive
divorce from actor Alec Baldwin and the lawsuit she settled with Main Line Pictures. Of course,
being a celebrity also comes with lavish spending habits, which could have also run her into
the mud. But regardless of her financial standing, she remains a renowned figure in Hollywood.
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