Salma Hayek Once Breastfed A Baby In Need Of Milk And Helped To Launch A Breastfeeding Campaign

Aug 15, 2022

Salma Hayek was born Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez. She began her career in Mexico before moving to Hollywood in 1991. Hayek is best known for playing the role of Frida Kahlo in the 2002 film "Frida." The role earned her nominations for Best Actress at the Academy Awards, the BAFTA Film Awards, the Golden Globe Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Before "Frida," Hayek had been in several American films. Some of her other early popular movies include "Desperado" in 1995, "From Dusk till Dawn" in 1996 and "Dogma" and "Wild Wild West" both in 1999. One of her more recent films, "The Hitman's Bodyguard," which came out in 2017, had a sequel released in 2021 titled "The Hitman's Bodyguard's Wife." The film focuses on Hayek's character, Sonia Kincaid.  

Hayek is married to french business magnate François-Henri Pinault. The actress confirmed their engagement on Mar. 9, 2007, and at the same time announced that she was pregnant. Hayek gave birth to their daughter, Valentina Paloma Pinault, on Sept. 21, 2007, in Los Angeles, California. The couple married on Valentine's Day in 2009 in Paris, France. They renewed their vows that same year in Venice, Italy. 

The couple has been largely private about their relationship in the past but they share a beautiful daughter named Valentina who is now 14 years old. Hayek once shared an important memory of when she weened her daughter off breast milk. She told this memory and story while receiving an award for UNICEF, as she remembered how she once helped a young mother in Africa who needed help finding milk for her infant baby. 

Hayek's daughter, Valentina, shares the same birthday month as her famous mom. As with the children of many high-profile celebrities, Valentina rarely makes appearances on her mom's Instagram, as Hayek prefers instead to keep her underage child out of the public eye, as per HELLO! Magazine. 

Years ago, the star actress stood on stage at an important UNICEF event. UNICEF stands for the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, an organization that handles humanitarian development for children. While receiving an award for UNICEF, Hayek stood on stage and reminisced on a story that she would never forget and one that was worth sharing with the world. 

“This 15-year-old girl is sobbing, shaking with a newborn baby and she said ‘please help me I need milk,’” the actress shared. “We had so many things, but we didn’t have milk,” Hayek remembered. She went on to explain, “Except I remember that I had milk because I was weening my daughter." said. That’s when Hayek did something that could only be considered heroic. “I got milk!,” she said. “Give me the baby, give me the baby,” she told the young African mother. 

“I sat down and breastfed this baby,” the actress shared. She went on to say what a special moment it was for not only her but the infant baby too. “I was mesmerized by the baby because that baby took the first hit of milk …” she continued as she tried to imitate the young child's facial expressions of shock and happiness. “He was staring at me saying ‘Thank you,’” Hayek shared. 

Hayek went on to say that a journalist ended up taking a picture of the intimate moment and word eventually spread back to Hayek’s publicist. “Why do you do these things? Are you crazy?” Hayek remembered. After speaking with the journalist who took the picture, Hayek said, “They could have milked that milking moment, but they were super elegant and they never said anything,” she shared. 

“Three years later a brilliant journalist, who was the one who took the picture, was doing a campaign for breastfeeding in Africa,” she said. Following that, “the milk companies started sending,” Hayek said. It is safe to say that Hayek’s generous deed of giving milk to another baby helped a family in need. In an interview with “Nightline,” Hayek shared that she wondered if she had done the right thing by feeding another baby. 

"Am I being disloyal to my child by giving her milk away?" Hayek said. "I actually think my baby would be very proud to share her milk. And when she grows up I'm going to make sure she continues to be a generous, caring person,” the actress shared. 

ABC journalist Jennifer Perillo, who was the food editor at Working Mother magazine in 2009, shared, "The flip side is a woman whose body is producing something naturally who is actually using it in such a powerful and positive way.” Also talking to ABC, Dr. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, said, “I think it's completely crazy. But I say, 'You go." She added: “She made a point and she made it loud and clear. And look, it's started a conversation about how breastfeeding is good and women should have a choice about it and we shouldn't be so afraid of our bodies."

What do you think of Salma Hayek feeding a baby in need? We applaud this actress for stepping up when needed! If you found this article interesting — pass it on to others who will too!