Kim Basinger reveals battle with agoraphobia that stopped her leaving house
The actress said she had to relearn how to drive.
Oscar-winning actress Kim Basinger has revealed she suffers from anxiety and agoraphobia that has left her unable to leave the house.
The star, 68, best known for roles in LA Confidential, Batman and 8 Mile, has been largely out of the spotlight in recent years.
In a clip from an interview on Jada Pinkett Smith’s chat show Red Table Talk, which aired on US breakfast show Good Morning America, Basinger said: “I wouldn’t leave the house. I would no longer go to dinner.”
The NHS describes agoraphobia as “a fear of being in situations where escape might be difficult or that help wouldn’t be available if things go wrong”.
She added: “It’s really horrible to feel that as really fiercely as I did during those years and not know what it was.
“It’s like something just completely shuts down within you and you have to relearn everything.
“I had to relearn to drive. And for many years I would not go through the tunnels at Malibu.
“Everything used to make me nervous, like … where do I step to open the door? Everything became a big job to figure out how to do it.”
Basinger, who shares daughter Ireland with ex-husband Alec Baldwin, added that she also experienced physical symptoms, saying: “You live with a dry mouth all the time. You’re very shaky. You’re just so exhausted all the time.”
The full interview will be part of the next episode of Red Table Talk on Facebook Watch, which is released on Tuesdays.
