Actor and film producer Salma Hayek has made a smashing debut on the ‘Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’ cover. Her photos are all over the internet and she is unbeatably challenging age stereotypes with grace and confidence.
The Hollywood star’s bold look made it to the cover of the 2025 edition of the magazine. Hayek’s cover photo has her in a pool, wearing a beautiful green swimsuit. She also posted a video which has her jaw-dropping behind-the-scenes moments from her photo shoot for the cover. In one of the photos, Salma Hayek also went topless.
Sharing the cover, a post on Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s official Instagram page read, “Power, passion, and presence – unmatched. ‘@salmahayek is a force of nature. 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. Her why is rooted in her ability to inspire generations to come, by showing us all that living on your own terms is the ultimate power. She has a creative fire that lights up everything she touches. Her passion for life, for storytelling, for humanity is rare. It’s real.”
The actor’s fans have been reacting by calling her ‘absolute goddess’, ‘spectacular’, and ‘incredible’. “She’s look fantastic, ” “THE QUEEN!!!!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥😍,” read a few more posts.
In an interview on Today Show shared online, Salma Hayek can be heard saying, “I used to look at this magazine and wanted to see who was the new, gorgeous model, the new girl of the moment. 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.”
Salma Hayek shared that the shoot wasn’t easy and she tried on over 100 swimsuits before she felt comfortable in front of the camera. She added about a surprising moment during the shoot that truly changed her mindset. As she was beginning to feel nervous about being vulnerable at her age, a whale suddenly jumped from the ocean behind her and that sight changed everything for her.
“All of a sudden, I felt, ‘This is magical. This is my land. I’m 58, I’m doing this. My generation, especially Mexican women, we thought we were going to be dismissed at 35. And I got so excited, I felt really free. I put on Bad Bunny, I started dancing, I loved it,” Hayek said.
Along with Salma Hayek, the cover stars Olympian Jordan Chiles, gymnast Olivia Dunne, and model-entrepreneur Lauren Chan for the 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition. The 2025 issue highlights 34 other inspiring women, like influencer Alix Earle, Paralympic swimmer Ali Truwit, and Olympic gold medallist Suni Lee.
For the unversed, Salma Hayek began her acting journey in Mexican TV shows during the 1980s. She got the fame with her 1990s films like Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn, and Wild Wild West. Her powerful performance in 2002-released Frida also earned her an Oscar nomination.