Hilaria Baldwin recently posted an emotional message about her role as a stepmother.
The "Mom Brain" podcast host and wife of actor Alec Baldwin, with whom she shares four biological children, wrote at length about the love she has for Baldwin's 23-year-old daughter, Ireland.
Ireland's mother is actress Kim Basinger, who was married to Baldwin from 1993–2002.
In an Instagram post, Hilaria Baldwin shared that it's important for her to treat her role as a stepmother with "such care" because she's heard stories about stepmoms overstepping their boundaries.
"I wanted to make sure I did right by the family I was stepping into when I married Alec," she wrote. "I love my stepdaughter as much as I love my biological children and I become a mommy lioness when I see comments that insinuate otherwise."
She expanded on the bond the two share. "I think my relationship with her has been so successful because I never tried to step in as her mommy," she wrote.
She also detailed her feelings toward her husband's ex-wife, Bassinger.
"[Ireland] has a good mother, who I have tremendous respect for...and I put myself in Kim’s shoes: if my children ever had a stepmother, I’d want her to let me be number one," she wrote. "When I met Ireland, I said to Alec: if she is not ok with our relationship, I cannot go further."
"Family is first and she needed to be ok with me," Baldwin added. "We have never had a fight or a bad moment. Nor have I with her mother."
(MORE: Gabrielle Union, Alec Baldwin, Taylor Schilling, Michael K. Williams and more talk new film 'The Public')Baldwin also addressed critics who have pointed out the language she uses when referring to her children on social media.
"As someone who loves her, my job was not to step in and take over...but rather respect what had been for the first 15 years of her life and then become a part of that," she wrote. "So yes, sometimes my language about my biological children does not include her. Because I did not birth her and I never want to disrespect the fact that she has a wonderful mother."
"This will never take away from how much I love her, need her in my life, and think that she is one of the best things that has ever happened to me," she added.
Ireland commented on the post with a humorous note of her own: "I prayed for two lesbian moms from the womb but having two moms this way will do."
The message of the post appeared to resonate with many, as several left comments praising Baldwin for her honesty.