THE AGEISM ASSAULT: Hayek’s ‘Still Sexy’ PR Defense
Salma Hayek is taking aim at one of Hollywood’s biggest, dirtiest secrets: ageism and sexism! The iconic actress just launched a high-profile attack on the industry, declaring that she feels a “calling” to remind everyone that women are “not disposable after a certain age in any department.” Her battle cry? A defiant declaration: “I’m still sexy and I embrace it.”
TMZ is not buying the selfless crusade! While the issues of discrimination against older women in Hollywood are undeniable, Hayek’s sudden, aggressive public advocacy is highly suspicious. This is a classic PR strategy: hijack a powerful, moral cause to mask the highly personal, expensive, and intensely scrutinized efforts she makes to maintain her own youthful image. She is preaching anti-ageism while simultaneously investing in procedures like Ultherapy PRIME (a non-invasive lift) to ensure she looks decades younger than her years.
THE SEX SYMBOL SLUMP: Fighting Her Own Obsession
Hayek openly confessed that she had a hard time accepting her younger body, admitting she constantly “criticized and hated nonstop” the figure that made her famous in ‘s Desperado. This deep-seated personal struggle with body image is the real fuel behind her current public rhetoric.
Her claim that “age came and gave me the ability to expand to other territories” is a convenient way to spin the fact that Hollywood stopped offering her “sexy girl” roles. Now, she is fighting tooth and nail to maintain her commercial relevance, desperately trying to prove that she is still both a dramatic actress AND a sex symbol—a dual identity she never felt secure in during her youth. The ageism battle is a personal obsession wearing a PR mask.
THE DISPOSABLE LIE: The Billionaire’s Fear
Hayek’s strongest statement—that women are “not disposable after a certain age”—is a direct reflection of the pressure placed upon her as the wife of Kering CEO François-Henri Pinault. Her value to the multi-billion dollar luxury empire relies entirely on her being seen as an ageless, desirable commodity in the global media.
If Hayek were truly seen as “disposable” by Hollywood, it would be a massive PR failure for the Pinault dynasty. Her constant advocacy is an attempt to use her celebrity status to force the industry to keep her relevant, thereby protecting her own financial status and her husband’s corporate image. She is not just fighting for women over ; she is fighting for her own marketability.
THE DOUBLE STANDARD DECEPTION: Ignoring Her Own Privilege
Hayek is correct to call out the double standards, noting that “Men in Hollywood are allowed to be old and still play the romantic lead.” She vows to fight for “more roles for women over .”
However, Hayek’s position is one of immense privilege. Her financial power, derived from her billionaire husband, allows her to produce her own roles through her company, Ventanarosa, insulating her from the worst of Hollywood’s ageism. Her “fight” is significantly easier than that of most actresses over . This entire crusade, while high-minded, dangerously ignores the corporate shield that protects her from the brutal realities faced by her peers.
“It’s easy to say you’re fighting ageism when you’re married to a billionaire and can pay for all the best procedures. I respect her effort, but the playing field is not fair,” one fan pointed out on social media.
THE S FEAR: A Story of Survival, Not Solidarity
Hayek admits that earlier in her career, she worried she would not survive the industry because older women were being ignored. Her happiness at being “still here” is powerful, but it underscores that this ageism battle is rooted in personal fear and survival, not simply altruism.
Her ability to expand to “other territories” (i.e., production, advocacy, and being a corporate symbol) is the real reason she survived the age cliff. This is a story of strategic career redirection, not a sudden Hollywood epiphany about female worth. The “still sexy” declaration is the final, desperate attempt to hold onto her youth-based commodity value.
THE CLIFFHANGER: What Procedures Is She Hiding Now?
Salma Hayek is leading a powerful charge against ageism, but the aggressive “I’m still sexy” rhetoric is a neon sign pointing to her own anti-aging obsession. If she is willing to publicly endorse non-surgical lifts, what is the extent of the secretive, aggressive maintenance required to maintain the rest of her look?
The question is, how long can she maintain the facade of “natural beauty” while battling ageism so publicly? We are betting that the truth about her cosmetic regimen is far more shocking and financially demanding than her “still sexy” battle cry lets on, and the final secrets about her fight against time will eventually be exposed.
