The actor called his 11-year-old daughter Ireland "a thoughtless little pig" in 2007 -- and a recording of the voicemail message was subsequently leaked onto the Internet.
Baldwin, who was locked in a custody battle with Basinger at the time, was widely criticized, and admits he considered suicide during the aftermath of the scandal.
But the 51-year-old credits his ex with pulling him back from the brink -- because he couldn't stand the thought of handing her "victory" if he killed himself.
He tells Playboy magazine, "I spoke to a lot of professionals, who helped me... If I committed suicide, (Kim Basinger's side) would have considered that a victory. Destroying me was their avowed goal."
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