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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Salma Hayek tried to back out of her 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit shoot because she felt like an imposter and struggled to find swimsuits that fit. Once she arrived on set in Mexico, those nerves gave way to a shoot she described as freeing—and to an unexpected whale sighting.
Why did Salma Hayek try to back out?
Hayek accepted the invitation, then became frightened as the shoot approached. She described the feeling as imposter syndrome: she was not sure she belonged in a swimsuit issue, and the prospect of being photographed in swimwear felt intimidating.
Finding a suit added to that anxiety. Hayek said the swimsuits she tried did not fit her, and she worried that her body was not the expected model type. The issue was not simply nerves about posing; she was also confronting the practical difficulty of finding swimwear she felt comfortable wearing.
What happened with the swimsuits and the missing suitcase?
According to accounts of Hayek’s story, Sports Illustrated sent about 200 swimsuits for fittings, and she tried more than 100. Many needed alterations. The suits that had been adjusted were packed for the trip to Mexico, but her suitcase went missing.
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On set, Hayek had to choose from a small group of extra swimsuits. The fitting process that had contributed to her doubts therefore did not deliver the carefully prepared selection she expected to have available.
How did the shoot change her mind?
Hayek said her fear eased after she arrived at the beach. As she walked onto the shore, a whale appeared in the water; she called the moment “magical.” She also danced to Bad Bunny during the shoot, a contrast to the dread she had felt beforehand.
That change—from worrying about whether she belonged to feeling present and free on set—is central to her account. She said she decided to own the experience and enjoy it rather than keep trying to withdraw.
What was the 2025 cover?
Hayek was one of four cover models for the 2025 issue, alongside Livvy Dunne, Jordan Chiles and Lauren Chan. Photographer Ruven Afanador photographed her at Cuixmala resort in Mexico; her cover look was a green Johanna Ortiz swimsuit. TODAY revealed the cover on May 13, 2025, and the issue went on sale May 17.
What did Hayek say the experience meant?
Hayek said it mattered for a major magazine to show that a woman over 50 can feel sexy and free. She also said the shoot taught her to say yes to things that scare her. Her comments describe her own experience; they are not evidence of a broader survey or measure of how women feel about age and swimsuit modeling.
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