Hilaria Baldwin is breaking the silence about the theories circulating on social media that she has a history of faking a Spanish accent and exaggerating her family’s connection with Spain.
On Sunday, the mother of five, who married actor Alec Baldwin in 2012, shared a video on Instagram where she explained her ethnic background and added that she takes people “questioning (her) identity and culture … very seriously . “
“I was born in Boston and grew up spending time with my family between Massachusetts and Spain,” wrote Baldwin, 36. “My parents and brothers live in Spain and I chose to live here, in the USA. We celebrate both cultures in our home – Alec and I are raising our bilingual children, just as I was raised. This is very important to me. I understand that my story is a little different, but it is mine, and I am very proud of it. “
In the video itself, she addressed the accusations around her accent, explaining that she fights insecurities due to the way she speaks.
“I’m that person that, if I speak a lot of Spanish, I tend to mix, and if I’m speaking a lot of English, I mix it,” said Baldwin. “When I try to work, I try to announce a little more, but if I get nervous or upset or something, I start mixing the two. “
“I try to speak more clearly in each language … but sometimes I get confused, and it’s not something I’m kidding about, so I want it to be very, very, very clear,” she continued.
Baldwin went on to clarify the controversy surrounding his name. She said that when she was younger, she would go for Hilary in the USA and Hilaria in Spain. After years of using both, she said she decided to simplify and use only Hilaria, the name her family calls her.
“I think we can all be sure it’s the same name, just a few letters apart,” she said. “I don’t think we should be so upset about it. Whatever you want to call me, I will answer both.”
“This is a country with many different cultures and I think we can be different parts of ourselves with different people,” concluded Baldwin. “I feel very lucky to have grown up with two cultures, I grew up speaking two languages.”
She also emphasized that she identifies herself as white and that her ethnic makeup includes “many, many, many things”.
Hours later, the former yoga instructor shared another Instagram video deepening her earlier points.
“I was born in Boston, I spent a large part of my childhood in Spain, my nuclear family lives in Spain and has lived there for a long time,” said Baldwin. “I was moving a lot, but I came here when I was 19 to go to college.”
She added that she never said that her mother is Spanish and that her family is “a great mix” of different cultures.
“I always told the truth and I always said where I come from,” she explained. “I am proud to speak two languages, proud to have two cultures, proud to raise my children in this way. I am proud that my family is like that, and not. I really think this is a negative thing, so I don’t really understand why this is becoming such a big thing. “
“I want to take this seriously, but I also don’t want it to be suddenly. I’m apologizing for being who I am,” she continued. “At this point, I am beginning to feel that I am being attacked for being who I am and that no answer is the right answer.”
Baldwin said later in his Instagram story on Sunday that she has been shutting down social media “for a long time”.
The controversy surrounding Baldwin’s story emerged last week after she exchanged ideas on Instagram with comedian and mother Amy Schumer. A Twitter user, whose post went viral, juxtaposed as Baldwin has spoken in several media appearances over the years, including a demonstration for TODAY Food at the People en Español festival in 2015, with his latest videos on social media.
Baldwin spokesmen declined TODAY’s request for additional comments.
FIX (December 27, 2020, 18:28): An earlier version of this article referred to a video of Hilaria Baldwin appearing on TODAY in 2015. The video is of Baldwin making a demonstration for TODAY Food at the People en Español festival in 2015.