Baldwin taken to hospital after pill threat

A law enforcement official says Emmy award-winning actor Alec Baldwin was taken to a New York hospital after his daughter called 911 and said he'd threatened to take pills.

The official tells The Associated Press that authorities came to the Manhattan apartment of the "30 Rock" star yesterday after his daughter told police she had argued with her father on the telephone.

The official - quoting from an incident report - says she quoted her father as telling her, "I'm tired of this. I'm going to take some pills. I'm going to end this." The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person wasn't authorized to speak publicly.

Baldwin spokesman Matthew Hiltzik calls the incident a "misunderstanding" and says no pills or alcohol were involved.

Baldwin was quickly released from the hospital.

In 2007, Baldwin blamed a bitter custody battle with ex-wife Kim Basinger in part for the anger and frustration he was feeling when he berated their daughter in a phone message leaked earlier to the media.

In the message, Baldwin called Ireland, now 14, a "rude, thoughtless little pig." He was apparently upset that she had missed his phone call. Baldwin said he apologized to Ireland. He said the message was wrong and "horrified" him.

In his book, "A Promise to Ourselves," Baldwin railed against the family court system in Los Angeles, offered advice based on his own experience with divorce litigation and talked about how one parent can turn a child against another parent.

Evelyn Karamanos, Basinger's publicist in California, didn't immediately return a call from the AP requesting comment.

On March 7, Baldwin and Steve Martin will co-host the 82nd Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.

In September, Baldwin won his second-straight Emmy award as lead actor in a comedy for "30 Rock."Last month, he and "30 Rock" co-star Tina Fey won the Screen Actors Guild Award for best acting in a comedy series and he won a Golden Globe Award for best actor in a TV series, comedy or musical.