This Linda Evangelista child support situation is amazing. Quick background:
Linda Evangelista has a 4 year old son called Augustin. The father is Salma Hayek’s billionaire husband Francois-Henri Pinault. Augustin was born juuuust before Salma’s daughter Valentina. Valentina however is set for life. Her father maintains a trust fund for her valued at $12 million. He spends $50,000 a month on the account. Linda wants some of that for her own kid. And she’s taking Pinault to court to make it happen.
Here are her demands:
-$46,000 a month (which would, according to the judge, “amount to the largest support order in the history of the Family Court”)
-the above amount is to pay for 24 hour nannies and security for $80,000/year and $175,000/year respectively
-also $7,500 for a monthly holiday
The judge wasn’t feeling the holiday request and he threw that out in court right away. He does however seem to be sympathetic towards Linda re: the security costs for the son of such a high profile personality (Pinault’s family is worth $11 BILLION). As for why she needs a nanny around all the time, Pinault’s lawyer contends it’s because she’s lazy:
"She testified that she wants to have a 24-hour nanny because she does not want to be alone with the child . . . Miss Evangelista, you should understand, has a worth of more than $8 million, and she earned, last year, $1.8 million."
When asked by the judge to defend her nanny needs, Linda, who was present in court on Monday, explained:
"On days when I do not work, I am working on my image. I have to hit the gym. I have beauty appointments. I have to work toward my next job and maintaining my image just like an athlete. "When I work, it can be a 16-hour day.”
I know you’re all now like, b*tch, shut up and come to my house for a change, see what that feels like. And you’re right. What she’s asking for is outrageous by our standards. And this of course is the supermodel who once said she wouldn’t get out of bed for less than $10,000. But this is not your life. Or mine. This is her life. And Pinault’s life. And they all have 24 hour nannies. You think a 24 hour nanny is an anomaly? Please. Why are Pinault’s lawyers acting like the request for a 24 hour nanny is akin to taking someone’s kidney? You don’t think Salma has a 24 hour nanny?
So I guess this is my question:
He’s the father of both their children. One child, Valentina, with her mother, the “official”, is entitled to all the benefits of his wealth. Linda’s child, financially, is not afforded the equal. So, Linda’s expectations for luxury aside, as a mother, do you not fight for your son to have what his half sister is getting? Or do you let him live with the understanding that he is the “lesser” of the two and therefore will only receive a fraction of it?
I am not a mother, and certainly not the mother of a child conceived out of a brief fling only to be passed over for Salma Hayek. But even still, if that were me, and I knew the other child was sitting on $12 million, and my kid was walking around making do with my measly (ha!) $1.8 million/year, I’m not sure I can stand up here and sanctimoniously shout out that I’d walk away all class and let the baby father keep his cash. It’s not the most dignified approach, no. I get that. I hear you. In a perfect world, she’d straighten her back and shake it off and say, well it’s not like I’m poor and nothing is worth getting dirty over. Realistically though, can you honestly say it would be that automatic?