The love story of Salma Hayek and François‑Henri Pinault reads like a fairytale that quietly traded the spotlight for family, roots, and a long-lasting bond. Here’s a timeline that’ll have you smiling.
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Spring 2006: A Romantic Meeting
Salma Hayek and François-Henri Pinault reportedly met in spring 2006 at a glamorous gala at Palazzo Grassi in Venice, a palace belonging to the Pinault family.Though the actress has intentionally kept details private, that first encounter set the stage.
March 2007: Public Engagement And First Child
By March 2007, the pair publicly confirmed their engagement and announced they were expecting their first child. That September, their daughter Valentina Paloma Pinault was born.
For Hayek, becoming a mother at 41 was a deeply meaningful milestone; she has since spoken with gratitude about having Valentina and the extended family she then had.
Pinault had two older children, François Pinault and Mathilde Pinault, from a previous marriage with Dorothée Lepère. He also had another son, Augustin James Evangelista, with a brief relationship with Linda Evangelista.
“I always wanted to have a lot of children, and I was not able to. My body, as a miracle, had one. The huge blessing I’ve had is that my husband has three other children. So I have four. And they are all so different,” she told Red in 2017.
Valentine’s Day 2009: Marriage
On Valentine’s Day, 14 February 2009, Hayek and Pinault formalised their union in a private civil ceremony at the city hall of Paris’s 6ᵗʰ arrondissement. Just months later, they threw a lavish celebration at Venice’s historic opera house, where friends and renowned guests gathered to join in the celebrations.
Years later, the couple reaffirmed their commitment as they renewed their vows in 2018 on the idyllic island of Bora Bora.
And They Lived Happily Ever After
Over the years, the pair have balanced glittering red-carpet appearances with quietly nurturing their family and supporting each other’s passions. Despite their wealth and public standing, Hayek has spoken candidly about ambition, authenticity, and forging a path on her own terms, even in the face of speculation about their union.