Love Stories: Salma Hayek's love story with billionaire François-Henri Pinault began with a 'silly' conversation

Salma Hayek has been married to billionaire François-Henri Pinault for 15 years, and while the origins of their love story are shrouded in mystery, it's clear their bond was strong from day one – and you only have to look at their loved-up display at Wimbledon overnight for proof.Although Hayek has resisted speaking about Pinault in true detail over the years, she's still painted an incredible picture of how two high-profile people, passionate about art, space, physics and fashion, happened to meet one day and fall in love. And it was all thanks to a "silly" conversation."It was so silly. We started talking about football. We're both crazy about soccer," Hayek recalls in a 2020 interview with Associated Press.READ MORE: Detail in blurry Travis Kelce footage has Taylor Swift fans emotional"And then we started talking about science. We love space and physics, and he was so smart and charming and funny," she continued."Nobody had talked to me about those things the first time I met [them]. It's not normally the typical conversation."Beaming, she adds: "I realised, this person that [seems so different to me] is my perfect match."The interview was rare, as the actress doesn't often speak about the nature of her relationship with Pinault, who is the CEO and chairman of Kering.READ MORE: Royal loses it on camera at high-profile sporting eventThe French luxury fashion house is the parent company and owner of brands such as Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga.Pinault inherited the role of CEO from his father, who founded and built Kering from the ground up in 1963. It started out as a small wood-trading company.According to Forbes, Pinault is now worth upwards of $US26.3 billion (approx. $39 billion).For a daily dose of 9honey, subscribe to our newsletter here.Pinault is also the chairman of the Kering Foundation, which combats violence against women. This role, of course, is a great source of pride for his wife.However, Hayek has remained quite tight-lipped about their meet-cute.In fact, the Frida actress vowed not to share details about it, and when asked during a 2019 interview with Town & Country, she said:"I'm not going to tell you. It's such a romantic, amazing story, but it is mine. I don't want to vulgarise it by making it into a story to make myself interesting."READ MORE: Stephanie Rice debuts new romancehttps://www.instagram.com/p/CPbP31aNTMv/But Hollywood is Hollywood, of course, and there are some fleeting details around that explain how the two celebrities managed to cross paths.People reports Hayek and Pinault met in the spring of 2006. A gala was being held at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice – a spectacular venue owned by Pinault's family. The actress was reportedly 39 when she was invited to the glitzy event, while Pinault was 43.When their eyes met, there was no denying it. They had an instant attraction.Why Salma Hayek had her doubts about François-Henri PinaultIn her interview with Associated Press, Hayek explains that she had made assumptions about Pinault when she first met him."At the beginning, I didn't think [he was right for me], but he won me over really fast," she says."I was stereotyping him as a rich man. I thought, 'This is not my type of guy at all'."READ MORE: Rude phone call completely changed Victoria Starmer's lifehttps://www.instagram.com/p/B_aGNXpJHA9/According to her, Pinault was able to "melt" all those preconceptions away, and so she started to think, "Oh my god, there's something here."Just a year after they met, the pair announced their engagement, as well as the exciting news they were expecting a child.Hayek gave birth to her only daughter Valentina Paloma in September 2007, at 40 years of age.While things seemed to be going splendidly for the couple, scandal hit when Canadian model Linda Evangelista revealed Pinault was the father of her three-year-old son, Augustin James Evangelista, in 2008.READ MORE: Single act from tennis great signals massive changeSadly, this led the pair to call off their engagement, as they dealt with the news, and Pinault addressed his ex's legal demands for childcare support compensation.It became apparent Pinault had fathered the child during a time when he was not romantically involved with Hayek.As well as daughter Valentina, 14, and son Augustin, 15, Pinault has two other children from a previous marriage, Mathilde, 21 and Francois, 24.Two weddings and a few Venetian dress-upsThe news proved a trying time for the couple, but they got through it.Just a year later, their engagement was back on the cards, and they finally got married on Valentine's Day in 2009. The perks of marrying a billionaire were clear at this time, with the pair enjoying two fun-filled weddings.On Valentine's Day, they held their legal nuptials in the city of love (of course), with a private wedding held at the 6th Arrondissement City Hall in Paris.Then on April 25, 2009, they wed again in Venice – the place where their love story kicked off.The second wedding was star-studded, with Penélope Cruz, Antonio Banderas, Charlize Theron and Ashley Judd in attendance. It was an effervescent affair, where wearing a Venetian mask was a non-negotiable.Hayek has spoken often of her love for dressing up, and naturally, her wedding day presented the perfect opportunity.Where their love lies nowWhile the couple have been through some tough times, Hayek gives nothing but glowing reports of her and Pinault's relationship.In 2011, Hayek gushed to Latina magazine: "I found a man better than any man I could ever, in my life, imagine existed. He found me, actually. I wasn't even looking."Speaking on Dax Shepard's podcast Armchair Expert in 2021, Hayek referred to her husband as "magic", calling herself "the luckiest person she knows"."In pictures, you cannot begin to guess the magic in him," she said."He's made me become a much better person and grow in such a good, healthy way."In her interview with the Associated Press, she admits the "sexiest" thing about Pinault."He's very masculine but in his head, he's a feminist, so he really roots for women," she says."That is hot. Guys don't think that it's hot, but it really is. Because there's nothing sexier than feeling supported, that the person that you're with wants you to thrive, wants you to be better every day and grow with you."FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.