Salma Hayek Pinault can now add Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover star to her list of accomplishments.
The “House of Gucci” actor, 58, stuns on the cover of the 2025 issue of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, on newsstands May 17. She joined TODAY on Tuesday, May 13, to exclusively share her cover photo.
“I used to look at this magazine and wanted to see who was the new, gorgeous model, the new girl of the moment,” she told Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin. “It never crossed my mind that I could be on that cover. Because (the women) didn’t look like me. My body isn’t necessarily the model type. I never thought that was a possibility — and for it to happen when I’m 58! It’s really shocking.”
On the sultry cover, Hayek Pinault kneels in a shallow pool, sporting a green swimsuit by Colombian designer Johanna Ortiz, and a necklace and body chain by Los Angeles-based designer Jacquie Aiche.
Salma Hayek covers Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2025, on newsstands May 17.Ruven Afanador / Sports Illustrated
The Oscar nominee is one of four cover stars to be featured in the magazine’s 2025 issue. This year’s other cover models are Olympian Jordan Chiles, gymnast and influencer Olivia Dunne, and model Lauren Chan, who founded the plus-size clothing brand Henning.
The 34 other women featured within the Swimsuit issue this year include influencer Alix Earle, Paralympic swimmer Ali Truwit, rugby star Ilona Maher and Olympian Suni Lee.
While visiting TODAY, Hayek Pinault said she experienced a bit of imposter syndrome, when one feels self-doubt in moments of achievement, when approached for the cover but eventually agreed. Her photo shoot took place in Mexico, where she’s from, and described the experience as “magical.”
“My generation, especially Mexican women, we thought we were going to be dismissed at 35,” she said. “I got so excited and I felt really free. I put Bad Bunny on and started dancing — I loved it.”
This may be Hayek Pinault’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover debut, but the “Frida” star is known for sharing empowering bikini pics on social media. For her 58th birthday in September, she shared a series of swimsuit snaps on Instagram.
“Birthday bikini dump, happy 58th birthday to me!” she wrote in the caption. “P.s none of these are throwbacks.”
Last August, she also celebrated aging with a photo of herself in a yellow bikini on a boat, with her gray roots visible.
“Yellow bikini + White hair = perfect combination,” she wrote in the caption.
And in July 2023, she marked reaching 25 million Instagram followers with a video of herself doing a pool workout in a bikini.
“Thank you soo soo much to every single one of you. 🙏 Seeing as you all like my bikini pictures the most 👙, here’s a bikini work out for you all,” she wrote in the caption. “I hate exercising- but I love to celebrate good moments dancing in the water. I am genuinely moved and grateful for all your love & support.”
