Acclaimed Mexican actress, producer, and director Salma Hayek has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Hilaria Baldwin. Hilaria—who is an author, podcaster, and influencer and the wife of actor Alec Baldwin—has long claimed to be of Spanish heritage, even exaggerating a Spanish accent for the entirety of her life in the public eye.
More from MamásLatinas: Hilaria Baldwin + 15 other celeb moms who bounced back after baby beautifully
Radio and TV show host Andy Cohen recently asked Salma, who has worked with Alec Baldwin and considers him a friend, about the controversy, and she perhaps surprisingly had a lot to say. "I think she's smart to want to be Spanish. We're cool, you know?" Salma said on the Radio Andy show.
Salma was fooled.
"All of my friends asked me, 'Did you hear about this? Oh my God, she lied,'" Salma told Andy. "We all lie a little bit," she said. "She fooled me because she's such a good mother."
"It is a bizarre story, but don't we all create our own character in life?" she continued. "I mean, this might be extreme, OK, but she's not a bad person," Salma asserted.
Hilaria drew suspicion back in December.
Hilaria drew suspicion on social media back in December 2020 when many of her followers noticed that her Spanish accent had mysteriously disappeared. The accusations went viral, with millions accusing her of lying about her heritage and attempting to hoodwink the public.
Hilaria was actually lying...sort of.
Once it was clear that the controversy surrounding her was not going to blow over, Hilaria responded herself on social media, explaining that while she was born in Boston and spent most of her childhood there, her parents moved to Spain when she was a teen and still live there along with her siblings. Hilaria went on to explain that she and her children are bilingual and celebrate both cultures.
She changed her name.
Hilaria even went so far as to change her name to sound more Spanish. She admitted to being born Hillary amid the controversy. The entire ordeal had many people accusing her not just of misrepresenting herself but also of using the fabricated, seemingly more ethnic identity to capitalize on a perceived connection to the Latinx community.
Salma is forgiving.
"You know, I don't care. I'm sorry. I don't mean to betray or hurt anybody's feelings, and I don't know if it's right or if it's wrong. I'm not going to judge somebody just because of that one thing," she said. "She makes my friend happy."
But many others aren't.
Salma obviously has an inside track and has personal experience with Hilaria and her family, and all of that affects her opinions on the controversy. And while Hilaria's husband Alec and stepdaughter Ireland Baldwin have all vehemently defended her, the general public and her brand partners have not been so forgiving. Many people have "canceled" her, and she's even lost some brand partnerships.
