Valentina Paloma Pinault was born on Sept. 21, 2007, to parents Salma Hayek and François-Henri Pinault in Los Angeles, per People. In an April 2008 interview with People en Español, Hayek said that becoming a mother had been "the most incredible experience" of her life. "I am sure that there are plenty of women that say, 'God, what a marvelous life, she can do this or that.' But there is nothing that I have done that is more incredible than to have a child," she said.
During an interview with "The Oprah Winfrey Show" that April, Hayek revealed that she chose the name Valentina for her daughter because it means "courageous one" in Spanish. Since Valentina has a strong connotation, Hayek decided to balance it out by giving her daughter another name with a "softer" meaning. "I got really nervous that she was going to be like a revolutionary," Hayek said. "So I named her 'Paloma,' which means 'dove' in Spanish. She's a courageous dove. Usually, I call her Valentina, but sometimes I call her Palomita."
Valentina has certainly been living up to her name by following in her mother's footsteps in wanting to break into the entertainment business. In a May 2017 interview with Hola!, Hayek said that her daughter is able to get in front of the camera with "no problem." Valentina later proved that by joining her mom on the cover of Vogue Mexico's May 2022 issue. During her interview with the magazine, Valentina revealed she wants to be an actor and a director.
While she's currently in school, Valentina has been able to experience life in the spotlight by accompanying her mother to various public events, including the Hollywood premiere of "Eternals" in October 2021.
