Hilaria Baldwin's Controversial Spanish Accent, Explained

Alec and Hilaria Baldwin are welcoming cameras into their New York City home for their latest TLC reality show, The Baldwins. As a press release for the brand-new series explains, viewers will get to see "the highs and lows" of the famous family, which includes raising seven children, all under the age of 12, and Alec's high-profiled Rust shooting trial.

One thing that Hilaria will touch upon on the new reality TV show is her infamous accent. In 2020, people suggested that she faked her Spanish accent and heritage. Her accent appeared to be inconsistent at times, and a video of her trying to find the English word for "cucumber" went viral.

Hilaria certainly hopes explaining her unique accent on the family's new show will finally put all those lingering questions to bed.

Hilaria Baldwin Admitted That She's Still "Hurt" About People Questioning Her Accent

Hilaria Baldwin Addresses The Controversy Surrounding Her "Fake" Spanish Accent On TLC's The Baldwins

Hilaria Baldwin made waves in 2020 when her Spanish accent was put into question. When she spoke, fans would find that her accent would be inconsistent with her sometimes having a thick Spanish accent or not having one at all. In the family's brand-new TLC show, The Baldwins, Hilaria will open up about all the commotion surrounding the way she speaks.

In the show's premiere episode, Hilaria revealed that she was both "hurt" and "sad" about people questioning not only her accent, but her heritage.

"I love English, I also love Spanish, and when I mix the two it doesn't make me inauthentic, and when I mix the two, that makes me normal," she said.

"I'd be lying if I said [the controversy] didn't make me sad and it didn't hurt and it didn't put me in dark places."

Despite all the negative backlash, Hilaria still stood her ground when she shared that being around both English and Spanish-speaking people caused her to have a unique accent.

"But it was my family, my friends, my community who speak multiple languages, who have belonged in multiple places and realize that we are a mix of all these different things and that’s going to have an impact on how we sound and an impact on how we articulate things and the words that we choose and our mannerisms," she shared, adding that it's "normal."

Hilaria Baldwin's Accent Went Viral In 2020

Hilaria Baldwin Forgot The World For "Cucumber" In A Viral Video Clip

Hilaria's accent became a hot topic of conversation in 2020 when users on X (formerly known as Twitter) began to notice that it fluctuated and wondered about her true heritage. In a 2018 Hola! cover story, Hilaria was identified as being Spanish, while her Creative Artists Agency profile stated that she was born in Mallorca, Spain. Additionally, in an interview on the #MomTruths podcast, the mother of seven expressed that she had lived in Spain since she was 19 and later moved to the United States.

On top of that, a video of Hilaria forgetting how to say "cucumber" went viral. She appeared on a cooking segment on the Today show where she not only had what appeared to be a strong Spanish accent, but when she was stating the ingredients of a recipe, she pointed to a cucumber and asked the host, "How do you say this in English?"

Hilaria took to Instagram to address all the speculation, and confirmed that she was not born and raised in Spain. She was born in Boston. However, she did defend her accent, stating that being around Spanish-speaking people made it change here and there.

"I've seen chatter online questioning my identity and culture. This is something I take very seriously, and for those who are asking — I'll reiterate my story, as I've done many times before.

"I was born in Boston and grew up spending time with my family between Massachusetts and Spain. My parents and sibling live in Spain and I chose to live here, in the U.S.A."

In addition, Hilaria's real name is Hillary Hayward-Thomas and, after some deep investigation, it was unearthed that her parents were not of any Spanish background. "I identify more with Hilaria because that's what my family calls me," she shared in her since-deleted video.

Interestingly, Hilaria's Spanish accent does sound less overstated on her family's new TLC show as opposed to what viewers heard in her viral Today show clip.

Hilaria And Her Husband Alec Baldwin Are Showcasing Their Authentic Lives On Their New TLC Show The Baldwins

Hilaria and Alec Baldwin Are Parents Of 7 Children

There will be so much more to unpack on the Baldwin family's new TV show. The show's press release reads:

"In the season premiere, Alec and Hilaria celebrate their oldest son Rafael’s ninth birthday and, in a bid to escape the noise of the city, they head to East Hampton to continue a yearly summer tradition. But in the midst of celebration is uncertainty as Alec faces trial. Alec and Hilaria navigate the emotional complexities of the moment, all while keeping their children’s lives as stable as possible."

The show's premiere will also discuss the aftermath of the fatal Rust shooting. It will follow Alec on trial for involuntary manslaughter charges after he held a gun on the set of the western movie that went off and shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Alec was ultimately found not responsible for the shooting, but the show will follow how he and his family will face uncertainty as the actor was facing months behind bars.

"When something bad happens, there is a fire, and your job is to try not to let the fire spread. But I wanted to put as much as I could a fireproof barrier around my kids," Hilaria said on the show, per People.

"It's extraordinarily difficult when you feel so horrible inside and so scared and confused because you have this constant nausea here, the panic, the inability to sleep. This trial is happening, and Alec could go to prison," she added.

Of course, viewers will also see brighter moments for the famous family, including how Hilaria and Alec raise their seven children and take care of a number of pets. It's a "wild family," as Hilaria called it.