Salma Hayek Hits Back At Claims She Married François-Henri Pinault For Money

Salma Hayek and billionaire François-Henri Pinault have been married for 12 years and share a daughter together … but she’s still defending the relationship.

Appearing on Armchair Expert this week, the actress responded to accusations she married the businessman for the money, a topic which came up after host Dax Shepard admitted he partially believed it himself before meeting Pinault in person.

“Can I say something about your husband, really quick? What a f—ing nice, fun, generous, nice warm guy. He’s super sexy too,” began Shepard. “I’m gonna be honest, I didn’t know who he was, I just heard or maybe read in a headline that you had married a really rich guy. Maybe that’s why she married him.”

“I meet him and I’m like, this guy is so foxy. Oh my God, the confidence, his eyes, he’s so good-looking and charming and I was like, oh, this motherf—er could’ve been broke,” he added. “He’s a bombshell.”

Hayek, of course, agreed.

“You know the thing is that in pictures you cannot begin to guess the magic in him. He’s made me become a much better person, and grow in such a good, healthy way,” Hayek said of her other half. “And, you know, when I married him, everybody said, ‘Oh, it’s arranged marriage, she married him for the money.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, whatever, bitch. Think what you want.’ 15 years together, and we are strong in love. And I don’t even get offended, I’m like, yeah, whatever.”

When the hosts brought up the fact that Hayek already had her own money when they got married, the actress noted she’s not the only one who has experienced discrimination in the relationship — saying many have preconceived notions about Pinault as well.

“We’re touching on a very interesting conversation. There is a discrimination also to rich men. Immediately you think because somebody’s rich, [they] might not be a good person,” she explained. “Might be somebody materialistic, might be somebody that doesn’t have values, might be somebody that is even stupid or that doesn’t deserve it. That in order to have a lot of money, you did it the wrong way, there is all this preconceptions and I heard them, by the way.”

Hayek said Pinault was “not my type at all” and she came into the relationship with those same preconceptions, but he “melted them all away.”

“They’re controlling, they’re this, they’re that, they’re workaholics. My guy, finished work, no matter how hard it was — and trust me he has a lot of responsibilities — big smile on his face, happy to be home, happy to see me and the kids, make us laugh,” she continued. “We go on vacation, he completely shuts off, he’s in the moment. It’s not just an insult to me. I’m not the one being judged only. They cannot begin to imagine what a joy that human being is.”

When Shepard noted that society likes to make archetypes out of people and overgeneralize relationships, she added, “Putting things into boxes — I don’t like that, I’m a rebel.”

Hayek and Pinault got engaged in 2007, the same year the two welcomed daughter Valentina. They married on Valentine’s Day 2009 in Paris, before a second ceremony in Venice just two months later.