ALEC BALDWIN - BALDWIN CUSTODY HEARING 'A WASTE OF TIME'

BALDWIN CUSTODY HEARING 'A WASTE OF TIME'

LATEST: Actor ALEC BALDWIN and his ex-wife KIM BASINGER are no closer to resolving their bitter custody battle, after the Departed star branded yesterday's court appearance "a waste of time". The former couple have been locked in a legal fight to determine custody of their 11-year-old daughter Ireland since their divorce in 2002, but five years later, there is still no resolution in sight. The proceedings have also been hampered by the leaking of an angry voicemail message Baldwin left for his daughter on his ex's answering machine earlier this year (07), in which the actor verbally chastises Ireland and calls his Basinger "a thoughtless pain in the ass". He has since apologised for the "improper" message. Appearing at the closed hearing at Los Angeles Superior court on Friday (15Jun07), Baldwin and Basinger sat far apart from one another, leaving their lawyers to battle it out. Baldwin was seen leaving the courtroom on two occasions during the four-hour hearing, and later emerged saying, "This is a waste of my f**king time." Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Maren Nelson had previously expressed her determination to discover who released the answer phone rant to the media, but no further light was shed on the matter yesterday. Baldwin and Basinger are due back in court for another hearing on 25 June (07).