Salma Hayek is François-Henri Pinault’s second wife. They married in 2009, after she gave birth to their daughter Valentina. Their relationship was big news at the time, and they were part of a tabloid storyline because Pinault seemingly overlapped the start of his relationship with Hayek with the end of his relationship with Linda Evangelista, and then Linda had to sue Pinault for child support for their son. Crazy times back then for gossip. Anyway, Pinault and Evangelista eventually worked out their child support drama because Pinault is a for-real billionaire and, in context, what Linda was asking for was a drop in the bucket of his wealth. Salma stayed with him and she’s a very happy wife, and she defends him constantly. She’s always talking about the strength of their marriage and making him sound like he’s wonderful in every way. She did the same when she appeared on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast:
Salma Hayek is opening up about her marriage to her husband François-Henri Pinault. Hayek, 54, explained how Pinault, 58, has made her a “much better person” on Monday’s episode of the Armchair Expert podcast.
“Can I say something about your husband, really quick? What a f—— nice, fun, generous, nice warm guy. He’s super sexy too,” co-host Dax Shepard told the actress. He added, “I’m gonna be honest, I didn’t know who he was, I just heard or maybe read in a headline that you had married a really rich guy. Maybe that’s why she married him.”
Hayek responded, “You know the thing is that in pictures you cannot begin to guess the magic in him. He’s made me become a much better person, and grow in such a good, healthy way. And, you know, when I married him, everybody said, ‘Oh, it’s arranged marriage, she married him for the money.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, whatever, bitch. Think what you want.’ Fifteen years together, and we are strong in love. And I don’t even get offended, I’m like, ‘Yeah, whatever,’ ” she said.
Hayek continued, “We’re touching on a very interesting conversation. There is a discrimination also to rich men. Immediately you think because somebody’s rich, [they] might not be a good person, might be somebody materialistic, might be somebody that doesn’t have values, might be somebody that is even stupid or that doesn’t deserve it [or] that in order to have a lot of money, you did it the wrong way, there is all this preconceptions and I heard them, by the way.”
The Like a Boss actor then defended her husband’s character and said, “My guy, finished work, no matter how hard it was — and trust me he has a lot of responsibilities — big smile on his face, happy to be home, happy to see me and the kids, make us laugh. We go on vacation, he completely shuts off, he’s in the moment. It’s not just an insult to me. I’m not the one being judged only. They cannot begin to imagine what a joy that human being is.”
I’ll be honest, if I was a billionaire’s trophy wife, I would be doing the exact same thing as Salma. “You don’t know him, you guys, you’re prejudiced against rich white men, this is discrimination!” And then I would get into the Lambo and pick up some sapphire jewelry for myself using his credit card. I am that f–king shameless. Kiss my ass, peasants! My rich husband is amazing! Anyway, Salma and Francois genuinely seem happy with each other and whatever, it is what it is and I’m happy for them. But no, it’s not “discrimination,” Salma. Jesus.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
She is doing her job.
Or maybe he is a good person?
Nah, he totally flaked on Linda Evangelista when she got pregnant with his baby.
No billionaire is a good person. Hoarding that much wealth is immoral.
Salma statement sounds like “not all men..” add whatever you want.
And I seriously doubt that a white billionaire needs some kind of protection against the risk of being discriminated.
If he has to be sued for child support with all the money he has, he is not a good person.
@Swack: PREACH!!!
@Sarah yep
team @sarah
@Sarah Would you give your ex all the money they wanted just because you have it? I highly doubt it. We all know those insane amounts for child support aren’t all for the child but mainly for the mom. Linda was asking for 50k a month. No child needs that much money. I’m sure he’ll cover every costs for everything his child needs be it school fees, medical care, etc.
@juju – “we all know those insane amounts for child support aren’t all for the child but mainly for the mom” > excuse me, that’s some weird MRA bullshit. The amount of money is necessary, so the kid doesn’t get whiplash because a billionaire’s living standards are probably high above everyone else’s. It’s to assure that the kid doesn’t resent the “poorer” parent just because they can’t afford the living standards that the other, obscenely rich parent has. And on that account, 50k a month seem adequate.
If he really wanted to cover all the costs, he could have just paid child support immediately. It’s a disgrace to force the other parent to beg for every single expense and hand over every bill.
Yeah right? Maybe not a “good”person but maybe is not an a*hole? What is a “good” person anyways? What someone defines as “good” may not be considered “good” by another person. Anyway, they seem happy so who cares?
Pretty much, Eleonor, lol.
Won’t someone think of the rich white guys?
I had only just finished my coffee before reading this, and grateful I hadn’t a mouthful when I did!!
Right??? the poor downtrodden billionaires!!
I thought he was much older than 58! I would buy opals and diamonds and purses and a cheetah. She needs to step off with the discrimination comments. I want to like you Salma, but damn.
she’s definitely changed with her bank account….she used to be funny and cute…now she is just another basic b@tch seeking their glory days and falling flat….
She gives me Goop vibes. Imagine being so far up your own butt you think rich white men face “discrimination.”
I did too, I thought he was like 20 years older than her and she was a trophy wife.
If they’re really happy and in love and he’s a good guy to her, that’s great, but discrimination is absolutely not the right word to use.
I thought so too. She looks way younger than him.
Melanin. How can she be called trophy wife? she is a working woman and only 4 years younger.
Hold up, I thought that was a legit triangle with those three. Linda’s kid and Selma’s kid are about the same age and the only reason Linda went as hard as she did is because she found out about Valetina’s trust fund and other family line money and why they was not on the table for her kid with this dude. And then dude admitted that he wanted Linda to terminate the pregnancy and Linda wasn’t having it and she moved on but he tried to make her seem like a gold digger because her lawsuit came at the same time as her relationship with Horton ended.
I remember this mess vividly,
Yes to all of this. Linda basically took him to court because he was not financially acknowledging his son. So so much for Salma’s characterization of him as a stand up guy.
Yeah I remember it too. Not to mention how Pinault was really against Salma retiring to spend time with her family.
If they’re so damn happy why is she so defensive over it? LOL
Maybe with all their money she can buy a dictionary.
Ha! Yeah she does not express herself very “classy” here…
“I’m like whatever bit*ch”
Okey Salma how very mature and sophisticated..
Im sure your billionaire husband is nothing but an refined sensitive put upon man.
* eyeroll*
I mean her comments are very tone deaf but y’all know English is not her first language, right?
She went to an exclusive private school in America growing up and has been a celebrity in the English speaking world for decades. It may not be her first language, but it is not a new language by any stretch. No need to make these excuses – she knows exactly what she said.
Its not my first language either and I have never lived in an english speaking country. Still I wouldn’t talk like that to the press.
She constantly puts her foot in it when she speaks on most subjects. She has little to no self-awareness.
Geez, these comments are dripping with classism and condescension. She went to the U.S when she was a teenager, so hardly in her formative years. And her imaginary dialog was in response to someone criticizing her relationship with her husband, so maybe it’s OK if she responds in kind? Crass does not equal uneducated.
I don’t want to keep repeating this, but if Jessica Williams isn’t allowed (by Salma) to speak about her experiences with racism as a black woman in Hollywood, then Salma should shut the F up about her rich, white dude.
Yep, I remember that story very well. This isn’t the first ignorant thing Salma has said, won’t be the last.
Haven’t forgotten about that and how patronizing she was to Williams. She’s so tone deaf about her extreme privilege. She’s a good actor but not a good interview.
Oh right, I forgot that was Salma. That was TERRIBLE.
Thank you, I mentioned this too in the last Salma article and I think it should continue to be brought up. Salma, sit the f*ck down.
She hasn’t been right with me since she was rude to Jessica Williams. Whatever she is in I refuse to watch it. So over her b.s.!
THANK YOU @Wilma!
Salma has become a total disappointment in regards to being privileged and tone-deaf. I will never forget how she gaslit Jessica! I take back all of my goodwill towards Salma for “Frida!”
I was just about to mention how she treated Jessica Williams.
Yeah, discrimination was a bad word choice here. Maybe preconceived notion? Whatever, it’s nice that they seem happy.
“Prejudice” would have worked fine, IF the convo had to happen (Narrator: It didn’t). She also didn’t mention race, just wealth. Interesting all around.
or stereotype
Her brain is aging way faster than her face.
If anything, it’s “bias”, and even then, it’s not structural or systemic, so no, it’s not “discrimination”. And yes, if you’re a billionaire in labor capitalism, you’re probably exploiting somebody.
But whatever, like you said, can’t get too fed up about what she says, she’s a rich trophy wife. It’s just that she sounds dumb, is all. 🤷♀️
She certainly sounds offended for someone who isn’t offended.
Yes, yes she does.
Billionaires are garbage people. Every diamond necklace and jaunt on the yacht could have been a child saved, a village fed. The only correct course of action with that amount of money is to research where it would do the most good and then get spend it on people. Salma Hayek is gross and her husband is a monster.
@Nicole: “Salma Hayek is gross and her husband is a monster.” Yikes – this is a very harsh assessment – (and I agree 1,000% with every word of it).
Oh Salma. She continues to stick her foot in her mouth and show the depths of her ignrance. She really needs to educate herself on issues surrounding race, oppression, and privilege, starting with learning the actual meaning of the word discrimination.
As a Latina, I have found her to be a tremendous disappointment. I’m not sure what I expected but contrast her to Eva Longoria and you see what I mean. Salma could have single handedly paid for every immigration detention bond if she wanted. She has enormous resources and has done very little for her community except a couple of minor vanity non-profits. No one is obliged to do anything or spend their money in a certain way but it all speaks volumes to me.
That’s a really good point! Wow I wish she / they would have done that. If you don’t want to be considered an out-of-touch billionaire, maybe do some good for the people.
This – I don’t begrudge someone their success, or living a nice life because of it, but if you don’t then use that wealth (extreme wealth in their case) to help others on a big scale, what’s the point?
It looks like her husband’s company does have some corporate charity foundation, and she has/had a foundation of her own. Hopefully they are generous and make some impact.
Yeaahh. Let us not get into Eva longoria, and I misquote, “Black women came in droves ladiladadada but it wat the latiiiiiiiiiiiiiina women the real heroes of these elections”.
Anti-blackness in thd latina community is less known but still as nauseating as ever.
Salma honey, don’t worry about your husband. If his little fee-fees are hurt, he can comfort himself by wrapping up in a blanket of money and privilege.
They both grew up wealthy with inherited money and have never had to worry about the stuff us judgemental, mean peasants do like rent, bills, putting food on the table and education. At a time when the majority of the world is suffering extreme deprivation and loss and the billionaires like her husband are hoarding money and getting richer an interview like this is WAY out of line and completely narcissistic and tone deaf. I use to like her movies but this pendeja isn’t getting one more penny from me.
In México is well known she was the girlfriend of a high level executive in Televisa, where she did her only telenovela as a leading lady. She got that part even as an unkown actress. The fights between her and other actresses for the married executive are well documented in gossip sites.
From México to Hollywood the support came from the married world champion boxer Julio César Chávez, who opened the wallet for the new adventure. It was a rumor for long years until he spilled the beans for his autobiography tv series.
never heard of it.
random question but do you know of gossip sites but for like latin american celebrities? and maybe european as well?
I like celebitchy, but it is too focused on the US and the occasional european goss? Help a Latina out!
The idea that a corporate tycoon is a harmless little lamb lol ded…
Hahahahaha yup
She’s so dumb
What good is money if you can’t do good with it? That’s the part about having money that is worthwhile for me. Doing good with my late first husband’s legacy. After he passed away, I continued his foundation.
Without any offense, paranormalgirl, I always appreciate your comments:
It has been found that private foundations are interested in promoting and preserving philanthropy’s role in society, thus reifying and upholding a status quo that requires their existence in the first place (this is Jensen 2013, I think). It has also been found that they hinder progressive developments in public policy, since their existence is used to negate the need for truly overarching and helpful social policy in the first place.
Are those discussions you have with people within the foundation, or what is your opinion on this generally – if i may ask?
(This is part of my academic research, so again, no judgement on my end, just taking the chance to speak to someone in the know)
I detect no lies in what you have said regarding foundations. Foundations are often used as an amazing way to hide and shelter money, as well. They can also create a system of play for pay within the foundation’s disbursal of money. Sean’s foundation is educational in nature. It provides endowments for schools and colleges, scholarship money, and for technology to make distance/remote learning easier for underprivileged children. Do we do everything right? Probably not. We try for as much transparency as we can and to make the endowments without fanfare. We have no wings or library’s named after the family or anything like that. But at the moment, it is simply more effective to do this work under the umbrella of the foundation. Maybe that’s lazy. Maybe we should work on using our influence to garner some change of policy as well as provide financial assistance. Food for thought and something I will bring up to our board.
Thank you for getting back to me, and explaining what it is that your foundation is working on. Very interesting, and education is of course so worthy and often where inequalities start in the first place. I work in educational policy now, on the international level, and am loving it.
Thanks again, also for taking some of my input forward at least for discussion purposes.
I am so bothered by the fact that my computer autocorrected “libraries” to “library’s”
You’re welcome. I actually emailed my board chair and have him looking into working on policy changing activities. Thank you! I want to give my spawn a legacy to be proud of, one which effects change.
Thank you both for opening this discussion. And thank you, paranormal, for your generosity.
This is such an amazing discussion and @paranormal thank you for being so proactive in finding new ways to be more effective with the foundation you are running!!
She went off the deep end when she married him. Privilege began to blind her.
Selma was always privileged (she grew up uber wealthy). Marrying this dude meant she no longer had to pretend.
Sure, but at least she had some perspective before even if not a great deal. Not so much now.
She has always been a shallow ahole and crap actress.
He gets the arm candy, she gets the cash. Classic arrangement that’s been going on for decades.
Poor widdle aging white penis. Pweeze stroke.
While there are rich white men that use their wealth in an honorable way (Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Yvon Chouinard), and I think the last four+ years have caused me to erroneously anticipate that every white rich man is a horrid human, I don’t think they need defending LOL. Say nice things about him as your husband, but to defend him as a rich white guy…I mean, if you’re one of the “good guys”, the public will figure that out eventually. If you defend all the time, people think, “Me thinks she doth protest too much”.
Sigh. I encounter this view all the time. It’s so…reductive. Classic red herring.
I used to like Salma. But over the last decade or so she has proven herself to be an a$$hole. Truly. I have never forgotten how she disrespected Jessica White and talked over her and literally made the woman cry. Salma grew up rich and privileged herself. OF COURSE she feels this way.
Me too, sis.
I loved “From Dusk Til Dawn” Salma, but this version is tone-deaf and constantly has her foot in her uberprivileged life
This is one hell of a hill to die on.
LOL, yeah right?
Won’t SOMEBODY think of the plight of the disgustingly wealthy white men?!?
Yeah…rich white billionaires are people too you know!!!
This reminds me of the “not all cops are bad” and “all lives matter” arguments. You’re centering people who do not need to be centered.
Spot. On.
1000%
Yes!
There’s only four years between the two of them, and Hayek is accomplished and wealthy in her own right (as was Evangelista) – he dates age-appropriate women who are hardly trophy wives.
Right, he dates gorgeous A-listers and either dumps and ignores their kids or marries them, as his vanity pleases.
A woman can still be a trophy wife if she’s accomplished and wealthy if she puts herself in that box, and Salma has done that.
He’s only had three relationships in 25 years, and been with Hayek for 15 out of the 25 – he’s not exactly burning through women at a record pace.
How does that negate what is being said here? Longevity is not the debated point.
As far as I have read, his older kids and Valentina get along quite well, and I’ve read a few years ago that whatever the earlier circumstances, Linda’s boy spends time with his sister and his dad.
They might be A**holes, but might not be total ones.
I don’t Fs with Salma anymore. Ever since she talked over a Black Woman at the filmmaker’s luncheon a few years ago. Salma is extremely privileged and is not an advocate or ally. She is a supporter of anti-Black systems.
Can someone please get her a dictionary so she can read up on the definition of discrimination? And while we’re at it, a shoehorn, to get her Louboutin-clad foot out of her mouth.
I wonder if his ex Linda Evangelista would agree considering he tried to skimp on child support. Lainey had a great article about this. I used to like Salma but I wonder if the wealth has rotted her brain. Maybe use your platform to advocate for…children being trafficked from your home country of Mexico? I mean there are other causes to champion than old white men.
I am not her apologist, but she has worked with charities, maybe before she had Valentina , and when she breastfed that hungry baby, I just checked and she has worked behalf on Unicef and was recognized for her work. not everything is black and white.
I was with a guy a little bit similar to Salma’s, and I don’t think he looks “old” for his age, he is no model and looks a regular fair person, compared to Salma anyone will look awful.
He’s sexy! I mean, his bank account is sexy! Fixed it for you Salma.
It’s strange that people rarely bring up the fact that Salma Hayek is in a cult.
“ White solidarity is the unspoken agreement among whites to protect white advantage and not cause another white person to feel racial discomfort by confronting them when they say or do something racially problematic. Educational researcher Christine Sleeter describes this solidarity as white “racial bonding.” She observes that when whites interact, they affirm “a common stance on race-related issues, legitimating particular interpretations of groups of color, and drawing conspiratorial we-they boundaries.”10 White solidarity requires both silence about anything that exposes the advantages of the white position and tacit agreement to remain racially united in the protection of white supremacy. To break white solidarity is to break rank.” Robin d’angelo, White Fragility.
You don’t have to be white to benefit from white solidarity.
Salma has been a jerk in the past and is being a jerk now. Her billionaire husband was a jerk to Linda Evangelista and his son. I can understand her defending him as being a lovely person who she married for his other supposedly excellent qualities, but if I were in her shoes, I’d shut up after that and not make him out to be some sort of victim.
“And then I would get into the Lambo and pick up some sapphire jewelry for myself using his credit card. I am that f–king shameless. Kiss my ass, peasants! My rich husband is amazing!”
LMAO
It is sad indeed how I see, time after time, people try to whitewash history. I remember what this jerk did to Evangelista. He is a typical rich dude. I wonder what Selma is gonna say when she becomes too old 4 this guy & he wants a trade-in?
I would believe she’s happy with him, but no way would she have married or dated him if he wasn’t rich.
Salma is full of shit.
Wow, her comment is stupid (but I get she’s standing up for her poor misunderstood billionaire hubby and she genuinely seems crazy about him) but I’m skimming to the end of this post to find myself saying: BILLIONAIRES CAN’T SAVE THE WORLD AND THEY SHOULDN’T BE CHARGED WITH IT.
The solution is a fair tax system and getting the government to correct social and economic ills. It’s up to the system, not (billionaire) individuals. I’ve mentioned Bloomberg’s take before (see NYT article Private Citizen Bloomberg on Philanthropy) and he sums it up. Billionaires’ collective balances are bupkis compared with the power of government and govt budgets.
Billionaires should be heavily, heavily taxed. But private enterprise/companies – and giving private individuals a degree of freedom to run them, including through motivating these private sector people through a fairly free remuneration system and freedom to hold private wealth – are important because history has taught us central planning (communism and socialism) doesn’t work (famines, shortages, crappy consumer outcomes, lack of innovation, etc).
Better tax and strong regulation of the economy are key. IOW, Pinault & co should be allowed to keep being billionaires but we need to tax them more and funnel that money, along with all the rest of the tax, back into better social and economic welfare systems. (Or even UBI or whatever – but that’s a question of how, not the what.)
Acts of philanthropy will be much appreciated by the recipients but it’s usually more PR for the billionaires than actual social-level change. e.g. FY2018 US federal govt spending was around $4 trillion VS Bill Gates’ net worth = $133 billion or Bezos = $196 billion. They should continue giving but it’s not going to the root of the problem and why should billionaires have so much power to change policy anyway (Gates and agriculture, etc).
These things are key, yes. But the problem is, at that income level people find loopholes around it with the armies of accountants and tax lawyers they employ and hide their assets in offshore accounts.
A more equal wage would be a good start.
You can argue whatever you want to about the political failures of communism and socialism but economically I wouldn’t call capitalism a fantastic success either.
Also, the concept of a gradated income tax is inherently socialist.
“the armies of accountants and tax lawyers they employ and hide their assets in offshore accounts”
– Which is why international tax treaties are important. But you’ll never get everyone to sign on. No perfect system but always aiming towards one. Yes, the rich can afford to get the best tax optimisation advice.
Capitalism is terrible for the environment but it’s the most efficient way of doing business as far as we know – an opinion, I know. It’s most probably also locked in our extinction. Probably humans in current form are just not very good at any type of society as we know it. On the topic, how much unsold stuff do Gucci, YSL, Balenciaga, etc (brands controlled by the Pinault family) burn each year?
Progressive tax systems can range enormously though. Australia, New Zealand, European countries, Canada, and the US all have technically progressive personal tax systems but rates for those in the highest income tax bracket range widely. I tend use socialism in the technical sense – community/government ownership and control of the means of production and labour controlling/managing enterprises.
Good point on the high minimum wage.
It’s… not. lol.. It is, at best, a blanket assumption, but true enough that it probably covers a good many of them. ESPECIALLY when you’re talking about rich dudes.
She is, was and always will be an asshole. And the WORST dressed person on the planet.
Damn life is hard for rich white men. /s
I’ve always wanted to give her a chance, but she’s a Latina Karen.
She’s the WE WERE ROOTING FOR YOU meme lol
“Latina Karen” describes her perfectly
Her husband inherited his wealth. What makes him “deserve it” more than anyone else?