Linda Evangelista sings praises of son’s stepmom Salma Hayek for sweet gesture

Linda Evangelista expressed her appreciation for Salma Hayek, her son's stepmother, in a heartfelt tribute for the exceptional support she provided during Linda's illness.

In the September 2023 edition of Vogue, the 58-year-old supermodel offered a rare glimpse into their blended family dynamics. Linda, who had a brief relationship with billionaire François-Henri Pinault from 2005 to 2006, shares a 16-year-old son named Augustin with him.

François-Henri, 61, married Salma, 56, in 2009, and they have a 15-year-old daughter named Valentina together. Salma is also a stepmother to Augustin. 

Linda revealed to Vogue that she typically spends holidays with Salma, her ex-boyfriend, and their children as a united family.

However, there was one occasion when Linda was unable to participate in the celebrations, and Salma graciously stepped in to fill the void.

She shared: “I was sick at Thanksgiving and Salma got on the plane with her daughter, came here, and made Thanksgiving dinner.”

“I wanted her Mexican chicken with truffled potatoes. And she spent the day in the kitchen and cooked it herself. No help.”

“The kids helped her at the end. She made a feast — a beautiful, beautiful meal. I had told her that I wasn’t going to have Thanksgiving; I wasn’t feeling well. And she said, ‘Oh yes you are: I am coming.’ And poof, she was here.”

Meanwhile, the supermodel famously suffered through a rare side effect resulting from a fat-freezing procedure she underwent half a decade ago. The botched procedure left her feeling "brutally disfigured" and prompted her to withdraw from public life.

“[Augie] used to say, ‘Mommy, do you remember when you used to be fun? Remember when you used to laugh all the time? How come you don't laugh anymore?’ I hate what this has done to my relationship with him,” she told PEOPLE in February 2022.

“It is very important for me to raise him knowing that he is beautiful and knowing that everyone is beautiful,” she said, adding, “It's so messed up that I truly believe that except it doesn't pertain to me.”