Baldwin Says He Slapped Man in Self-Defense

Skillfully employing his emotive powers, actor Alec Baldwin testified Tuesday that he slapped a celebrity photographer in self-defense after being warned that men with cameras might try to kidnap his newborn daughter.

Testifying at his trial on a misdemeanor battery charge, Baldwin said he felt compelled “to protect myself, and more importantly protect my wife and my daughter” from photographer Alan Zanger, who Baldwin described as “wild-eyed and weird-looking.” The 5-foot, 7-inch, 160-pound Zanger twice charged him, the much larger Baldwin testified.

“I was sorry the whole thing happened,” said Baldwin, star of “The Hunt for Red October” and “The Juror,” among other films.

In contrast to Zanger, who testified hesitantly Monday and insisted he did not remember details, Baldwin delivered a smooth narration, facing the jury as he spoke, mimicking Zanger’s nasal voice and occasionally leaving the witness box to act out the events.

Zanger testified earlier that Baldwin attacked him as he videotaped the Oct. 26 homecoming of actress Kim Basinger, Baldwin’s wife, with their newborn daughter, Ireland.

Driving from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to their home on a quiet Woodland Hills street, “my wife and I were the happiest we’d ever been in our lives,” Baldwin told the jury, smiling.

That changed when Baldwin spotted Zanger’s red pickup with a camper shell and tinted windows parked across the street from his house, he said. Aware that paparazzi had called the hospital to find out when Basinger was leaving, Baldwin walked to the pickup and spotted the small red light of a video camera inside, he said.

Baldwin said he rapped on the shell, went into his house to get shaving cream, returned and smeared the windows--actions seen on a videotape the prosecution played Monday.

“I thought I would make as light of this as possible,” he said. “Something that was silly but the person would certainly get the message.”

Zanger didn’t, Baldwin testified. Zanger, a self-described celebrity stakeout specialist, jumped out of the truck and raised his video camera, the actor said.

Baldwin said a security consultant had told him that kidnappers might try to photograph his newborn before stealing her, or pose as photographers, so he said he calmly asked Zanger not to tape Basinger or the baby.

“Mr. Zanger would say, ‘What’s the big deal? Let me get the picture and I’ll go,’ ” Baldwin said.

But Baldwin said he feared Zanger was a “stalker” who was after his family. When Zanger raised his camera, he feared Zanger was going to hit him with it, Baldwin said. With his left hand, “I reached up and smacked the camera out of his hand, and the camera hit his glasses and they flew off his face,” Baldwin said.

Zanger then twice charged him, Baldwin said. He pushed and kicked him away, Baldwin said, and then Zanger retreated to his truck and left.

Zanger testified Monday that he climbed out of his truck because he feared being trapped inside by an enraged Baldwin. Zanger said the actor had kicked him in the rear after he handed Zanger his glasses. Zanger also testified that his camera, which was off, was continually pointed at the ground. Zanger testified he made no aggressive moves.

Deputy City Atty. Jeff Harkavy told the jury Tuesday that when police arrived to investigate the fracas, Baldwin made no mention of an assault by Zanger or that he feared Zanger, as Baldwin testified Tuesday. Nor were those points mentioned in a lawsuit Baldwin’s attorney filed in response to a suit Zanger filed against Baldwin, the prosecutor said.

Noting that Zanger was on a public street, Harkavy said to Baldwin: “You knew that he had the right to take pictures of your family even if you didn’t want him to.”

Earlier, the eight-woman, four-man Van Nuys Municipal Court jury heard a recording of the 911 call Baldwin placed moments after the confrontation:

“The guy took my video, I wouldn’t care,” a frantic-sounding Baldwin says on the tape.

“He took my wife’s video, I wouldn’t care. But he tried to take my baby. We don’t want that. My name is Alec Baldwin. My wife is Kim Basinger. She’s an actress. I only mention this because this is a relevant fact. Do you know my wife at all? Do you know who she is? “