Salma Hayek and her billionaire husband, François-Henri Pinault, were among more than 1,500 guests attending the grand opening of Notre Dame Cathedral on Saturday, more than five years after a fire tore through its iconic spire.
Hayek and Pinault joined an impressive list of international figures at the ceremony in Paris, including President-elect Donald Trump, First Lady Jill Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Britain’s Prince William and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
In 2019, Pinault’s family-owned company, French luxury conglomerate Kering, which owns fashion brands including Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Balenciaga, pledged $113 million to help rebuild the 850-year-old cathedral.
Salma Hayek and husband François-Henri Pinault attend the opening of Notre Dame Cathedral with world leaders. (Getty Images)
“It is an honour and awe to see Notre Dame reopen – a true moment in history and a symbol of resilience and hope,” Hayek said in English before translating into French in a post shared on social media.
Pinault’s father, François, founded the $22 billion brand and owns auction houses Alexander McQueen and Christie’s. Pinault has an estimated net worth of $7 billion.
“It is an honor and awe to see Notre Dame reopen—a true moment in history and a symbol of resilience and hope.”
— Salma Hayek, in a social media post
The Pinault family, along with LVMH and L’Oreal, have pledged $565 million to restore the cathedral after a fire tore through and destroyed its 19th-century spire in April 2019.
Hayek and Pinault have been married since 2009. (Getty Images)
President-elect Donald Trump shakes hands with Britain’s Prince William inside Notre Dame Cathedral before a ceremony marking the reopening of the historic church in Paris. (Ludovic Marin)
In addition to the donation, the Pinaults also made it clear that they would not take advantage of French tax credits.
“Today, more than ever, I feel proud to be a member of the Pinault family,” Hayek wrote on Instagram at the time. “Not only because they feel personally and heartily involved in the reconstruction of Notre Dame, but also because their contribution will not require any tax deduction from the government.”
“My husband and father-in-law are two generous French citizens who sincerely understand the importance of this spiritual, cultural and historical treasure from Paris to the world,” she added.
Hayek was raised by a wealthy family in the coastal city of Coatzacoalcos, Mexico; her father was a Lebanese oil executive and her mother was an opera singer. She rose to fame after starring in the 1995 film “Desperado.”
Hayek and Pinault have a daughter. (Swan Gallet/WWD via Getty Images)
She married Pinault in 2009 and the couple have a daughter together, Valentina. She is also stepmother to Pinault’s son with Linda Evangelista, Augustin “Auggie,” and his children from his first marriage, François and Mathilde.
