Salma Hayek Reveals She Regretted Accepting Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover Gig

Salma Hayek is reflecting on a career decision she wishes she had reconsidered. The acclaimed actress recently revealed her regret over posing for the 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover.

In a candid interview, Hayek revealed that she initially tried to back out of the photoshoot, citing concerns about her body type.

Despite these reservations, she embraced the opportunity, marking a significant moment of empowerment for herself and women of all ages.

While many would consider landing a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover an achievement, Hayek confessed that the experience left her feeling conflicted.

Speaking to co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin on the “Today” show, the actress admitted that she initially wanted to quit.

“I said yes and then when it was time to do it, I tried to back out. I said, 'No,' because the bathing suits never fit me, how am I gonna do this? There's nothing my size — I always suffer,” she recalled per PEOPLE Magazine.

The Hollywood star explained that the conflict was due to a bad case of impostor syndrome.

Growing up, Hayek said she would look at the magazine and admire the gorgeous models on the cover.

However, despite being “young and hot,” she never believed it would be her, as she looked nothing like them.

“My body's not necessarily the model type and I never thought that was a possibility. And for it to happen when I'm 58? It's really shocking,” the “Grown Ups” star said.

Thankfully, Sports Illustrated understood Hayek’s plight and sent her 200 bathing suits to help her mentally prepare for the big moment. “I tried more than 100. A lot of them needed to be altered,” she said.

The swimsuits were then sent to Los Angeles, where they were properly tailored to Hayek’s taste.

Everything seemed to be going well, but somehow, the luggage filled with the bathing suits and her “creams, all remedies to look good and mask everything, all my medications,” went missing on the flight to Mexico.

Salma Hayek was stuck wearing extra swimsuits that were made available, many of which she revealed didn’t fit perfectly.

Consequently, the film producer’s confidence took a dive. “I was really not confident and very nervous. I showed up feeling ‘What am I doing here?’” she recalled.

However, all it took to put Hayek at ease and get her excited was a seemingly good omen, a whale jumping out behind her as soon as she stepped onto the beach.

“And 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!’” she shared.

One of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2025 cover photos shared on Instagram on Tuesday featured Salma Hayek striking a powerful pose in a pool.

She wore a shimmering green two-piece that accentuated her curves, with delicate body chains adding a touch of elegance.

She placed her hands on her head, pushing back her wet hair, while gazing confidently into the camera with a fierce yet graceful expression.

A statement turquoise pendant rested on her chest, drawing attention to her neckline. The water around her reflected soft blue and white tones, creating a visually stunning, almost surreal backdrop.

“She has a creative fire that lights up everything she touches. Her passion for life, for storytelling, for humanity is rare. It’s real,” part of the caption read.

The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit will officially be on newsstands on May 17. It will feature photos of other stars, such as LSU Gymnast Olivia Dunne, Olympic Gymnast Jordan Chiles, and Model Lauren Chan.

Hayek’s beauty is one for the books, and surprisingly, the actress does everything possible to avoid conventional anti-aging treatments like Botox.

In a chat with The Cut in April, the 58-year-old, who is married to French billionaire François-Henri Pinault, revealed she wanted her expressions to be real.

“I’m an actress, a mother and a wife. I want my expressions to be authentic. I want my kids to look at my face and it’s very clear when I’m proud of them and when I’m not happy. I’m also an access — I need the expressions on my face,” she said.

However, the movie star revealed she recently “snatched her neck” and was forced to use Ultherapy PRIME, which boosts collagen, which she believed was making her look like a turkey.