Salma Hayek is an undoubtedly high achieving actress, not only recognised for her iconic portrayal of painter Frida Kahlo in the 2002 biopic Frida, which she produced, but also for her work as a humanitarian.
The Veracruz native commenced her career in Mexico, where she secured leading roles in the telenovela Teresa and the romantic drama Midaq Alley, before swiftly making a mark in Hollywood gracing the screen in movies like Desperado, Wild Wild West and Dogma.
In the years that followed, Salma shifted her focus towards producing, concurrently taking on roles in action-oriented films like Once Upon a Time in Mexico and Bandidas.
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The mum-of-one has been acknowledged as among Hollywood’s most impactful Latina actresses, and was included this year in Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential individuals globally.
But with a long-career and life in the public eye, Salma has also experienced scrutiny.
American dirt
(Image: Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
Back in January 2020, the Grown Ups actress was left expressing remorse for endorsing “American Dirt,” a novel authored by Jeanine Cummins that has sparked backlash due to its portrayal of immigrants.
“American Dirt” narrates the journey of a middle-class Mexican bookstore owner, who, after her journalist husband and other family members are slain by a brutal drug cartel, escapes with her eight-year-old son to the U.S.-Mexico border.
Didn’t read the book
(Image: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Salma had previously praised the novel after being driven by what she had explained to be her overwhelming excitement upon discovering Oprah’s selection for her book club.
She clarified in a post on Instagram: “In the description of the book I learned that it was the story of a Mexican woman, so I rushed into sharing my excitement with you.
“I confess, I have not read it and was not aware of any kind of controversy.”
Despite being applauded by acclaimed authors and celebrities including Stephen King and Oprah Winfrey, certain people of Latin background, as well as members of the Mexican-American community, have strongly criticised the novel for presenting an ill-informed portrayal of Mexico that perpetuates stereotypes.
Balenciaga controversy
(Image: INSTAGRAM)
The Oscar-nominated actress was indirectly entangled with a luxury couture scandal which erupted last year.
In November 2022, an advertising initiative shared on luxury brand Balenciaga’s Instagram profile presented children holding teddy bears that were adorned in attire associated with bondage and BDSM, sparking a wave of controversy online.
The luxury brand and all celebrities linked to its products subsequently faced significant criticism, with Salma being asked to speak out about the controversies due to her marriage with François-Henri Pinault, the chairman of Kering Group, Balenciaga’s parent company.
Salma has kept silent throughout the controversy, and has even participated in Balenciaga’s comeback on the red carpet, outfitting numerous celebrities during this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Balenciaga apology
(Image: Getty Images for Netflix)
The Mexican-American actress was photographed at the event alongside her husband, as they both donned Balenciaga outfits, sending a resounding gesture of endorsement to the brand.
Last February, Demna, Balenciaga’s creative director, issued an apology.
He told Vogue : “This was an error of judgement. I regret this a lot.
“We learned from this now and there are going to be closer and more attentive checks and validation steps applied before any image goes out.”
Breastfeeding another person’s baby
(Image: Instagram/salmahayek)
In February 2009, the Eternal actress was filmed nursing a hungry baby boy on a humanitarian trip to Sierra Leone, where she was told mothers often discontinued breastfeeding their infants within the initial months post childbirth due to influence from their spouses.
Salma was filming a segment at the time for ABC News’ Nightline show.
As the 56-year-old actress’ daughter, Valentina, just celebrated her first birthday prior to her journey on the African continent, Salma discussed the significance of breastfeeding, particularly in the global south.
The movie star continued: “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.”
Despite informing viewers that aiding a child in such a manner was deeply ingrained in her family’s history, as she recounted her great-grandmother in Mexico rescuing a hungry stranger’s baby by nursing the infant, the gesture left people divided.
Not disloyal
(Image: instagram.com/salmahayek)
The Hollywood star had explained that her choice to nurse another person’s child was an effort to reduce the social stigma associated with breastfeeding women.
This decision was made while she was still nursing her own one-year-old daughter.
Salma told ABC News that she believed her daughter wouldn’t object to sharing her milk.
“Am I being disloyal to my child by giving her milk away?” she asked.
Eyebrow-raiser award
(Image: Getty Images)
A blogger for Entertainment Weekly proclaimed the video clip of the actress breastfeeding the child in Sierra Leone as the recipient of the “biggest eyebrow-raiser award” and said “her left breast has now done more for humanity in a few minutes than I’ve done in roughly my life.”
According to Dr. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, the OB-GYN specialist on momlogic.com, the actress’ action was an ironic twist when considering America’s breastfeeding history, which included “black wet nurses forced to breastfeed the slave owners’ children during slavery and Victorian-era women who paid other women to nurse their children so they didn’t have to be stuck at home.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
