Salma Hayek Pinault’s Best SI Swimsuit Moments

The Daytime Emmy Award-winning actor donned the cover of the magazine’s 2025 issue.

Salma Hayek Pinault was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Mexico. Swimsuit by Sommer Swim. Necklace by Jacquie Aiche. / Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

Salma Hayek Pinault’s legacy only continues to grow—and at SI Swimsuit, we witnessed a debut feat that the 59-year-old perennial actor, producer and director had yet to achieve.

In May 2025, the TV and movie mogul—who has been spotted on the big screen in iconic projects including Frida, From Dusk Till Dawn, Wild Wild West, among many others—showcased her talents in front of our team’s camera lens in Mexico as one of four cover models for its 2025 issue.

With this in mind, let's take a look back at a few of the superstar’s best moments with the brand.

1. Hayek Pinault’s cover feature reveal
2. 2025 SI Swimsuit photo shoot
3. 2025 SI Swimsuit Launch Party

Salma Hayek Pinault was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Mexico. Swimsuit by Sommer Swim. Body chain by Jacquie Aiche. / Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

Hayek Pinault’s cover feature reveal

The world was first introduced to Hayek Pinault as one of SI Swimsuit’s 2025 cover girls—who shared the honor with Olivia Dunne, Jordan Chiles and Lauren Chan—on a May 13 episode of TODAY. This exciting announcement was aligned with the online release of SI Swimsuit’s 38 new model galleries for the issue.

Salma Hayek Pinault was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Mexico. Swimsuit by TJ Swim. Necklace by Foundrae. Belly chain by Saint Laurent. / Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

In an all-black ensemble featuring an off-the-shoulder tank, leather midi skirt and heeled booties, Hayek Pinault detailed her inaugural appearance with the brand to hosts Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin on the beloved morning program.

Salma Hayek Pinault was photographed by Ruven Afanafor in Mexico. / Ruvan Afanador/Sports Illustrated

“I showed up [to set] feeling like, ‘What am I doing here?’ And the first shot is on the beach, I stood up, and a whale jumped behind me,” Hayek Pinault told the TODAY team.

Salma Hayek Pinault was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Mexico. Swimsuit by Sara Cristina. Skirt by SIEDRÉS. Hat by Janessa Leoné. Body chain by Jac / Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

She previously disclosed to the duo that she experienced “imposter syndrome,” which mimicked a similar sentiment shared on set with our own team in Mexico. “I was feeling self-conscious at the beginning,” the model admitted.

Salma Hayek Pinault was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Mexico. Swimsuit by Ark Swimwear. Necklace and body chain by Jacquie Aiche. / Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

And it was a moment of serendipity while shooting at Cuixmala luxury resort that inspired a mindset shift. “And all of a sudden I felt: this is magical. This is my land. I’m 58 and I’m doing this. My generation—especially Mexican women—we thought we were going to be dismissed at 35, you know? And I got so excited and I felt really free,” Hayek Pinault continued on the morning show. “I put Bad Bunny on and I started dancing, and I loved it!”

Salma Hayek Pinault was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Mexico. Swimsuit by Sommer Swim. Necklace by Jacquie Aiche. Toe rings by Chan Luu. / Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

2025 SI Swimsuit photo shoot

Salma Hayek Pinault was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Mexico. Swimsuit by Alida Herbst. Body chain by Baby Gold. Belly chains by Isa Grutman and J / Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

What was Hayek Pinault’s initial reaction to the news of her debut cover feature? Mostly surprise!

“It’s so bizarre!” the model quipped in her cover story. The reaction stemmed from a prior perspective of beauty norms, specifically when she was younger. “It was impossible for me to meet the standards of beauty of the ’90s—skinny and tall,” she told the brand, “I was never going to be in that club.”

Salma Hayek Pinault was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Mexico. Swimsuit by OYE Swimwear. Toe rings by Chan Luu. / Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

Therefore, she elaborated, there was hesitancy when shooting with SI Swimsuit 30 years later. However, a specific value of the future brand cover model propelled her to take the chance.

Salma Hayek Pinault was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Mexico. Hat by Eugenia Kim.Swimsuit by Sommer Swim. Necklace by Jacquie Aiche. Toe rings by / Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

“It’s about the philosophy of freedom—freedom from the image of the perfect body that existed when I was young. That was not mine,” Hayek Pinault told the brand in a separate conversation. “Freedom for not being encapsulated in the box that they put women in their forties, mid-thirties. Freedom to be comfortable in my skin—it’s freedom for so many.”

Salma Hayek Pinault was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Mexico. Swimsuit by Alameda Turquesa. Body chain by Baby Gold. Cuff by JUJU VERA. / Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

And so she decided to do the shoot—and she crushed it.

Hayek Pinault met photographer Ruven Afanador on the eastern coast of the North American nation, where they explored seaside caves, met a herd of zebras and lounged poolside by the resort. Two months later, the image from the feature scored the front page of SI Swimsuit México. The magazine declared, “Our cover goes beyond beauty: it celebrates the strength and pride of being Mexican.”

Salma Hayek Pinault was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Mexico. Swimsuit and cover-up by Raquelle Pedezra. Necklace by Jacquie Aiche. Body chain by / Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

2025 SI Swimsuit Launch Party

Salma Hayek Pinault / Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images/Sports Illustrated

Once the issue hit newsstands, it was time to celebrate!

The actor headed to Hard Rock Hotel New York in a black feather-adorned midi dress to join the rest of the cover models—along with brand staples and rookies alike—for a night in the Big Apple. Rapper 50 Cent made his own appearance at the function to perform a few of his own hit songs, and Hayek Pinault snapped a pic with the artist and the magazine’s editor in chief, MJ Day.

Salma Hayek, MJ Day and 50 Cent / Nina Westervelt

“Salma Hayek Pinault is a force of nature,” Day penned in the issue’s editor’s letter. “As an actor, producer, philanthropist and champion for women, Salma is a beacon for Latinx communities, a tireless advocate and a person whose passion for art, life and humanity has few rivals.”

Salma Hayek Pinault was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Mexico. Swimsuit by Sommer Swim. Dress by Andrea Almeida. Necklace by Jacquie Aiche. / Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

Her words stretch across the actor’s longstanding career in the industry and the trailblazing impact of her own life’s work beyond the screen. And she’s showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, she told the magazine that she won’t be pausing her momentum, at least for the foreseeable future.

Salma Hayek Pinault was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Mexico. Swimsuit by Riot Swim. Dress by McQueen. / Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

“I could retire, but I don’t wanna miss out on this time. I fought for it, you know, and I've been part of it,” Hayek Pinault stated. “I don’t see why, after a certain age, we have to retract ourselves from embracing life to the fullest.”

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