Kim Basinger made an incredibly rare public appearance in Los Angeles this week as the Oscar-winning actress stepped out to run errands in Beverly Hills.
The 72-year-old former Bond girl, who has largely retreated from the Hollywood spotlight in recent years, went makeup-free for Monday's low-key outing.
Kim looked worlds away from her glamorous red carpet appearances as she dressed down in a cropped gray sweater, loose-fitting charcoal pants and black shoes.
© GPRESS/MEGAThe actress swept her blonde hair into a casual bun and shielded her eyes behind oversized black sunglasses, carrying a patterned bag over one shoulder as she made her way through a parking garage.
The sighting is particularly rare for Kim, who has been open about her lifelong struggles with anxiety and agoraphobia, which at times became so debilitating that she struggled to leave her home.
© Sygma via Getty ImagesKim Basinger's battle with agoraphobia
Kim has previously spoken candidly about living with agoraphobia, an anxiety disorder that can involve an intense fear of situations or places where escape may feel difficult.
During a 2022 appearance on Red Table Talk, the famously private star revealed how dramatically the condition had affected her everyday life.
"I wouldn't leave the house," she said of one particularly difficult period. "I would no longer go to dinner."
Kim described having to relearn seemingly ordinary parts of life as she attempted to regain her independence. "I had to relearn to drive, and for many years I would not go through the tunnels at Malibu," she explained. "Everything used to make me nervous."
"You have to relearn everything," she continued. "I had to learn to drive again, I had to learn how to do everything."
Her daughter, Ireland Baldwin, also spoke about her mother's anxiety during the interview, explaining that there were times when Kim's condition prevented her from being as socially active as she might have wanted.
From Bond girl to Oscar winner
Kim was one of Hollywood's most recognizable leading ladies throughout the 1980s and '90s, with a career that saw her star opposite some of the industry's biggest names.
She became a Bond girl when she played Domino Petachi opposite Sean Connery in 1983's Never Say Never Again, before appearing alongside Robert Redford in The Natural the following year.
© Gamma-Rapho via Getty ImagesHer role opposite Mickey Rourke in the provocative 1986 romantic drama 9½ Weeks cemented her status as one of the era's biggest sex symbols. She later took on the role of photojournalist Vicki Vale opposite Michael Keaton in Tim Burton's blockbuster Batman in 1989 and starred alongside Eminem in 8 Mile in 2002.
However, one of the defining performances of her career came in 1997's L.A. Confidential. Kim's portrayal of Lynn Bracken earned her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Kim Basinger's marriage to Alec Baldwin
Kim's private life became almost as heavily documented as her career after she married Alec Baldwin in 1993. The former couple met while working together on the 1991 movie The Marrying Man and welcomed their daughter, Ireland, in 1995.
They separated in 2000 and finalized their divorce in 2002, but what followed was a lengthy and highly publicized custody dispute over their only child. The acrimonious battle played out in the press for years, with details of the former couple's fractured relationship becoming tabloid fodder.
Their family made headlines again in 2007 when a voicemail Alec left for then-11-year-old Ireland was leaked publicly. Years later, however, Kim indicated that relations with her former husband had improved considerably. "Alec's a funny one," she told The Edit in 2016. "We're cool now, though. Life goes on."
Kim Basinger's life away from Hollywood
Kim never remarried following her divorce from Alec, although she went on to find love with longtime hairstylist Mitch Stone. The couple reportedly began dating in 2014 after having known each other for years, and Kim has largely kept their relationship away from the public eye.
Her appearances onscreen have also become increasingly infrequent. She played Elena Lincoln in Fifty Shades Darker in 2017 and reprised the character in an uncredited appearance in Fifty Shades Freed the following year.
© Ireland BaldwinDespite her long absence from the screen, Kim has made it clear that she doesn't consider herself retired. Instead, the actress has become increasingly selective about the projects she takes on after decades in the industry.
And while sightings of the Hollywood icon have become increasingly uncommon, Kim's influence remains firmly embedded in pop culture, from her days as a Bond girl to the performance that ultimately earned her Hollywood's highest acting honor.
