Hilaria Baldwin is opening up about what has helped keep her marriage to Alec Baldwin strong for nearly 14 years.
In a new interview with the Daily Mail, the 42-year-old yoga instructor reflected on their relationship, their 26-year age gap and the habits that continue to keep them connected while raising seven children together.
Looking back, Hilaria admitted that not everyone thought their relationship would last.
“Take a 27-year-old yoga instructor married to a rich and famous older man. It sounds ridiculous. It sounds like a bad ‘SNL’ sketch,” she told the outlet.
Despite the skepticism, Hilaria said one of the biggest reasons their marriage has endured is because they embrace their differences instead of trying to change one another.
“We just let each other be,” she explained. “I think that’s one of the reasons our relationship has gone on as long as it has, because we are polar opposites and so different.”
She also pushed back against assumptions people sometimes make about their relationship because of the age gap.
“I think people expect that Alec wanted somebody he could boss around, and we’re on the same level together,” she said. Hilaria added that while they’ve experienced plenty of highs and lows over the years, they’ve managed to work through them together.
Hilaria Says Date Nights Are a Priority
One of the ways the couple stays connected is by making time for regular date nights.
“We take a lot of time for date nights,” Hilaria told the Daily Mail. “We’ve been traveling a lot for work recently but we try to have a lot of date nights.”
She explained that those evenings are usually simple, often centered around dinner and catching up on family life and work projects.
The mother of seven also acknowledged that life with such a large family can be chaotic at times.
“There’s been so much chaos in our lives, so much of it wonderful, some horrible things, but we’ve managed to figure it out,” she said.
Hilaria also offered a few glimpses into their family dynamic, joking that Alec would happily welcome even more children. She also laughed about their youngest daughter, Ilaria, saying the toddler is “so naughty” and joking that naming her after herself may have brought some karma.
The couple share seven children together: Carmen, Rafael, Leonardo, Romeo, Eduardo, Maria Lucia and Ilaria.
Alec Baldwin Shares What He Loves Most About Family Life
Alec, 68, also had plenty of praise for his wife during the interview.
“I think anybody can see that. She’s a very special person, she really is,” the actor said.
He added that he admired Hilaria’s work ethic from the moment they met and said her success has never surprised him.
According to People, the couple first met by chance at a New York City restaurant in 2011 when Alec approached Hilaria and introduced himself. The pair married the following year and later renewed their vows in 2017.
The interview comes after Hilaria previously discussed navigating their age difference, including revealing that therapy has occasionally helped them work through challenges. As previously reported, the topic recently became the subject of a viral family joke when the couple’s daughter Carmen playfully roasted her parents’ 26-year age gap in a birthday video for Alec.
These days, Alec said his favorite place is at home with his wife and children.
“I want to stay home and do nothing and be with the kids,” he said. “I love my kids, I love my family. I love to go to work. But I’m really happy when I’m at home with my family.”
