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Hilaria Baldwin says she loves stepdaughter 'as much as I love my biological' kids

The 35-year-old mother of four and stepmother of one took to Instagram for a candid post about her maternal roles.
/ Source: TODAY

She frequently shares intimate glimpses of family life with husband Alec Baldwin and the four children they share, but there's one member of the family who doesn't appear on Hilaria Baldwin's social media accounts as often as the others — her 23-year-old stepdaughter, Ireland Baldwin.

And that's no accidental oversight.

As Hilaria explained in a lengthy and revealing post on Instagram Thursday, it's not that she has less love for Ireland. It's that as a stepparent, she knows how she expresses that affection publicly is a "delicate matter."

"I rarely address being a stepmom, but it is part of our family," she wrote. "I always want to deal with it with such care...so often you hear horror stories about evil stepparents and I wanted to make sure I did right by the family I was stepping into when I married Alec."

But since having her own kids with the actor — Carmen, 5, Rafael, 3, Leonardo, 2, and Romeo, 11 months — some online critics have taken her to task for focusing on those children more than Ireland.

To them, her message was simple and direct: "I love my stepdaughter as much as I love my biological children and I become a mommy lioness when I see comments that insinuate otherwise."

So rather than allow anymore misunderstandings, Hilaria chose to explain it all — even how Alec's ex-wife, actress Kim Basinger, factors into her choices.

Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger
Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger attend the 70th annual Academy Awards at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, on March 23, 1998.Kevin Mazur / WireImage

"Having a stepchild is a delicate matter. Especially one who is grown," she wrote. "I think my relationship with her has been so successful because I never tried to step in as her mommy. She has a good mother, who I have tremendous respect for...and I put myself in Kim’s shoes: if my children ever had a stepmother, I’d want her to let me be number one."

As for her respect for Ireland, she made that evident from the moment they were introduced.

"When I met Ireland, I said to Alec: if she is not ok with our relationship, I cannot go further. Family is first and she needed to be ok with me," the 35-year-old stressed.

Hilaria Baldwin
Hilaria Baldwin, Alec Baldwin and Ireland Baldwin attend the 5th annual Inspire Gala on Jan. 29, 2014, in New York City.Getty Images

The young model approved of her then-stepmom-to-be — and she still approves.

"We have never had a fight or a bad moment," Hilaria continued. "Nor have I with her mother. Ireland and I love each other and she knows that I am here for her...and I know that she is here for me."

And she doesn't foresee any of that changing.

"So yes, sometimes my language about my biological children does not include her. Because I did not birth her and I never want to disrespect the fact that she has a wonderful mother," she wrote, adding, "But this will never take away from how much I love her, need her in my life, and think that she is one of the best things that has ever happened to me."

She closed with one more message to any internet trolls ready to question any of that again: "Please don't look for trouble where there is none."

Since marrying Alec in 2012, Hilaria hasn't shied away from tackling tough topics when they arise.

Just last week, she visited TODAY to discuss a miscarriage she recently suffered.

"We have to realize that it's not just all diapers and blankets and hair bows," she said of parenthood at the time. "We have to open our hearts and realize that there is going to be hard moments, too."