How Salma Hayek Got a Second Chance in Love and Became a Proud Mom of Four Children

Salma Hayek had planned a quiet and solitary future on her ranch, but life had something different in store for her. She didn’t expect to cross paths and fall in love with a man who already had children. Nor did she expect to have a daughter at the age of 41, but she’s now the proud mother of four and is part of a large, blended family.

Salma Hayek had given up hopes of finding her soulmate.

As much as we plan ahead, we can never really know what our future will be like. Salma must have felt that way when she met François-Henri Pinault because she had no intention to fall in love, let alone get married:

“At the time I met him, I had already decided I didn’t want one of those [a husband]. I had set myself up for a completely different life. I was ready to live on my ranch, which is a sanctuary for animals. I would come to LA and work a little bit. I was not planning on spending. I had no interest in jewelry or clothes, or cars. I had everything I wanted,” shared the actress.

Yet, everything changed when she met François-Henri: “Then he came along, swept me off my feet, and changed my entire universe.” This was back in 2006, and even though she mistook him for a rich and vain man, it only took one casual conversation to realize that it was just prejudice on her part.

“I asked him if he had not been doing what he was doing, what would have been his dream? And he said an astronaut — and that was my dream! Then we started talking about different theories of physics, which is my secret passion. And soccer! I’m a huge soccer fan. [...] Nobody had talked to me about those things the first time I met [them]. It’s not normally the typical conversation. I realized, this person that [seems so different to me] is my perfect match.”

They broke up but realized their love deserved a second chance.

A year into their relationship, the couple decided to get engaged. However, in 2008, sometime after their daughter was born, it came out that François-Henri had had a child with another woman before starting his relationship with Salma. So they broke off the engagement and went their separate ways, given the unexpected news.

Although Salma was clearly shaken, she was happy to have her daughter by her side and decided to move on with her life. But, in 2009, Salma and François-Henri got back together and finally married in Venice, where they had met and fallen in love.

They still keep the spark alive, even after 16 years together.

For Salma, her husband is “magic” and she feels lucky to have overcome all obstacles to stand by his side: “I found a man better than any man I could ever, in my life, imagine existed. He found me, actually. I wasn’t even looking. He’s made me become a much better person and grow in such a good, healthy way.”

For his part, François-Henri also celebrates his life together with his wife, and he even decided to surprise her with the renewal of their wedding vows. The actress posted a loving message on her Instagram: “The summer is coming to an end and my best moment was when my husband surprised me with a vow renewal — it was not what I would have chosen to wear to my wedding, but I was told I was going to the spa!”

They have formed a large, blended family.

Although the surprise paternity of François-Henri was the reason they broke up, that story is now part of the past. Salma has a close bond with her stepson and even shares photos with him. She is also very close to his two other children from a previous marriage.

Although Salma yearned to have more biological children, she wasn’t able to have any more after becoming a mom at 41. So she feels lucky to be the mother of 3 stepchildren. When she talks about them, she claims, “The huge blessing I’ve had is that my husband has three other children. So I have four. And they are all so different.”

For Salma Hayek, the formula for a happy marriage is mutual joy and supporting each other: “I married the right guy. That is probably the most important thing. We support each other in everything we do. We want the other one to strive. [It] makes you happy when the other one strives.”