Salma Hayek Reveals Secret Behind Her 14-Year-Long Marriage — Says ‘We’ve Never Said Anything Nasty to Each Other’

Jun 26, 2021

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, is having a sequel released in 2021 titled “The Hitman’s Bodyguard’s Wife.” The film will focus on Hayek’s character, Sonia Kincaid.   

Hayek is married to french business magnate François-Henri Pinault. The actress confirmed their engagement on March 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.

In June 2021, Hayek appeared on an episode of Jada Pinkett Smith's Facebook Watch series “Red Table Talk” where she discussed her 14-year marriage to Pinault. She shared advice on how to solve conflicts in relationships and opened up what it is like to be a parent to a teenager, as well as a step-parent. Read on to learn more about Hayek and her family life. 

Hayek admits that every relationship comes with ups and downs, but what matters is how you handle the issues when they arise. She said on Red Table Talk,  "When there is conflict, we put all the energy into solving the problem - never finding who to blame or, 'You should have done this or that.' No. All our energy goes into, 'How do we solve this?'”

The actress added, "We've never said anything nasty to each other. No resentment."

Hayek also shared how difficult it can be to raise a teenager. "I've been learning to get out of the way … to let them be who they are. To give them the chance to take the chance to be unique. And that is not easy. And when you give them a voice, the first person they use it (on) is you," she explained.

Raising children is never easy, especially as they get older and leave the nest. "Sometimes when your children go away - 'cause I have stepchildren that are older - there's such a void that you really don't know who you are anymore,'' Hayek added. "There is a sense not only of loss - it's like, 'Who am I without them? What is my family now?’”

Hayek also had the chance to speak about her marriage on Dax Shepard’s podcast “Armchair Expert” in February 2021. She shared, “When I married him, everybody said: ‘It’s an arranged marriage, she’s marrying him for the money.’ I’m like: ‘Yeah whatever, think what you want.’ 15 years together and we are strongly in love and I don’t even get offended.”

What do you think of Hayek’s relationship advice? Are you a fan of any of her movies? Let us know your opinions and be sure to pass this story along to your friends and family.