ALEC BALDWIN and daughter IRELAND

The Departed star was today (21Apr07) reported to be taking legal action to find out who was responsibly for the leaked three-minute recording to TMZ.com, in which he verbally chastised his 11-year-old daughter Ireland, and called Basinger "a thoughtless pain in the a*s".

But in a posting on his official website, Baldwin blames the L.A. Confidential actress for "alienating" him from his parenting duties, which propelled him to lose his temper.

He says, "Although I have been told by numerous people not to worry too much, as all parents lose their patience with their kids, I am most saddened that this was released to the media because of what it does to a child.

"I'm sorry, as everyone who knows me is aware, for losing my temper with my child. I have been driven to the edge by parental alienation for many years now...

"I am sorry for what happened. But I am equally sorry that a court order was violated, which had deliberately been put under seal in this case."

Source: WENN