Here’s Kim Basinger’s net worth and why she bought and sold an entire town

Once upon a time in Hollywood, Kim Basinger was the name on everybody’s lips. The Oscar-winning actress, singer, and former supermodel took the world by storm when she debuted as Bond girl Domino Petachi in Never Say Never Again in 1983. Of course, Basinger had been rising to fame long before then with her modelling work in Playboy, her hit TV show, From Here to Eternity, and her scene-stealing role in Hard Country.

For a solid decade, Basinger was the ‘it girl’ of Hollywood, and went on to quickly became one of the most in-demand actresses in Tinseltown, gracing the big screen in some of the most iconic films of the ‘80s, such as 9 1/2 Weeks (1986), No Mercy (1986), and Batman (1989).

But, by the late-’80’s, Basinger’s luck ran out when she made a peculiar and highly publicized purchase of a little-known town in Georgia. That’s right, you read that correctly. Basinger bought the town of Braselton, Georgia for $20 million dollars in 1989. This was right around the time she linked up with A-list actor, Alec Baldwin, with whom she shares a daughter, Ireland Baldwin.

Why did Kim Basinger buy a town in Georgia?

While some celebrities sometimes buy islands to boast about or to host their parties, Basinger bought Braselton, Georgia with other ideas in mind. Her purchase made headlines around the world, leaving many to speculate about her intentions. As it turns out, her grand plans included turning the town into a major tourist destination that included production studios, recording studios, and a film festival.

Unfortunately, Basinger’s dreams for Braselton never came to fruition when in 1993 – the same year she married Baldwin – she decidedly backed out of an erotic drama she’d been contracted into making, albeit verbally. Boxing Helena was ready to be filmed, but Basinger was not. Her objection to the film was that it would require her to appear in several nude scenes, per The New York Times. This did not sit well with Basinger. After she backed out, Main Line Pictures sued her for $8.9 million on the grounds of breaching her contract.

Basinger and Main Line Studios came to a $3.8 million settlement, but the damage had been done. That year, the former apple of Hollywood’s eye filed for bankruptcy and a few years later, stepped out of the spotlight for good.

What is Kim Basinger’s net worth?

Basinger’s net worth is still going strong, currently standing at $20 million despite the financial struggles in her past, according to Celebrity Net Worth. In fact, those struggles even paved the way for one of TV’s biggest hits, Schitt’s Creek. As it turns out, Dan Levy said he drew inspiration from Basinger’s unfortunate circumstance while brainstorming the show’s initial plot. He and his father, Eugene Levy, wondered what would happen if they flipped the incident on its head and made it funny, according to Vanity Fair. And thus, Schitt’s Creek was born.

Even though her finances took a huge hit after the purchase of Braselton, Georgia (which she eventually sold), Kim Basinger didn’t disappear to lick her wounds. Quite the opposite. After a short break from acting, she continued to appear in films like 8 Mile (2002), Charlie St. Cloud (2010), and Fifty Shades Darker (2017), albeit a little outside the spotlight. Most recently she and her daughter Ireland appeared on the Red Table Talk with Jada Pinkett Smith, and discussed the realities of dealing with mental health issues. It was one of Basinger’s first interviews in nearly 15 years, and marked a big moment for the former Bond girl who had Hollywood wrapped around her finger.

While her projects have been less high-profile than the past, and she may not have any lined up in the near future, Kim Basinger has proven she’s not only been here all along, but she isn’t going anywhere either.