Don't go to Alec Baldwin if you're looking for Hallmark card-inspired marriage advice. The actor and famed Trump impersonator recently spoke to eTalk at the Toronto International Film Festival, where he shared some of his more practical marital tips for his niece, Hailey Baldwin, and her fiancé, Justin Bieber.
"People who get married young, and they are very young, I want them to just spend time with each other," Baldwin said. "Obviously, he, in particular, has this crazy superstar career."
For Baldwin, that means the newly engaged lovebirds will have to make some career sacrifices, like adjusting tour schedules to accommodate to carve out more time together.
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"I'm quite a bit older than them but I got married recently a few years ago. And my wife and I had four kids in four and a half years... The thing is, all the work I do now is based on my family," Baldwin said. "There's movies I got offered where they say, 'Come leave town for five weeks. No we can't travel your family with you, we don't have that in the budget.' And I pass, because I don't want to be away from my family. And I hope they realize that! If you want to have a successful marriage, you have to be together. You gotta stay together."
It's not bad advice, per se; in fact, encouraging couples to spend time together to foster their relationship is quite valuable. But framing the message in a way that makes it seem like marriage strips people of their autonomy and independence is a bit, well, dark? And, look, we get it. Having children greatly changes the dynamic in a relationship. You can't go out as often, your sleep schedule changes, and you probably want to stay in to play with your little ones. Your priorities change, and that's OK!
But Bieber and Hailey Baldwin just got engaged. The advice they're seeking is probably more along the lines of "point me in the direction of the best wedding florist" than "here's how to be the best family man." That is, if they're even looking for guidance. It seems that swarms of paparazzi are giving their fair share of unsolicited opinions from to the newly-engaged couple.
So, for now, let's leave them to select their wedding party and color schemes. And if you must offer advice, maybe start with something more pressing, like getting to the bottom of Bieber's latest outfit choice.
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