In an era gone by in Hollywood, it was typical to see a Hollywood celebrity smoking in paparazzi photos, at award shows and even on The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson. Those days are long gone as smoking went out of vogue and people clued into the health issues associated with the habit, but there’s one star who isn’t hiding it from her fans: Salma Hayek.
In a surprising Instagram post, the House of Gucci star clearly showed off her cigarette while her glam squad got her ready for the BAFTA Awards last weekend. It’s the last image in her carousel, so while she isn’t keeping her smoking habit a secret, she is burying it in the back. Hayek is an adult and can make her own choices, so we aren’t here to condemn her decisions, but we are surprised that she posted the photo in the first place.
Other than Ben Affleck, who is sometimes seen with a cigarette in his hand while walking his dog, can you name another star who is regularly seen smoking? It’s hard to come up with a name. Gwyneth Paltrow admitted she allows herself one cigarette a week, but we don’t see it happening in public. There are definitely stars who smoke, but they’ve taken their nicotine addiction underground because of the public perceptions associated with the habit.
But as one fan wrote in Hayek’s comments, “Gray hair, smoking and living life… you do you…” That’s exactly what the 55-year-old star is doing, and while it may have astonished a few of her followers, Hayek might be in a season of her life when she just wants to be authentically herself — and that includes what we see on social media.
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