Hilaria Baldwin Reflects on Backlash Over Accent in New Show

NEW YORK — Wellness guru Hilaria Baldwin opened up about the backlash surrounding her Spanish accent during the March 16 episode of her reality show, “The Baldwins.” In the episode, Baldwin, 41, discussed the impact of public scrutiny on her life and the challenges of managing her multicultural identity.

After facing significant criticism in 2020 for her accent’s authenticity and alleged misleading claims about her heritage, Baldwin expressed that the mockery led her to feel isolated. “Being in ‘the spotlight,’ as people like to call it, you never get used to people being mean,” she said. “You just try turning down the volume in my head a bit.”

Amid the controversy, Baldwin defended her heritage by emphasizing the multiple cultural influences that shape her identity. Speaking with a friend of her daughter, Baldwin explained that her family’s diverse background has affected how they articulate their language. “My family, my friends, my community … speak multiple languages, have belonging in multiple places. That’s going to have an impact on how we sound and how we articulate things. That’s normal. That’s called being human,” she said.

Baldwin noted that her accent has become less pronounced over time but describes her ability to switch between dialects as “code-switching,” a common practice where individuals adapt their speech patterns depending on their social context. “I had to learn about it because the whole world was mean to me, and so I had to learn it,” she explained. “It’s code-switching.”

The Baldwin family has faced scrutiny since Alec Baldwin‘s accidental shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of his film, “Rust.” Recently, Hutchins’ family criticized the reality show, accusing the Baldwins of exploiting the tragedy. Hilaria addressed the criticism during her show, stating, “You have to take the criticism in stride and learn from it.”

In past interviews, Baldwin has acknowledged the mixed responses to her identity. She asserted, “I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me sad and it didn’t hurt and it didn’t put me in dark places,” reflecting on the emotional toll of the backlash. Despite this, she continues to embrace her dual affinity for both Spanish and English. “I love English, I also love Spanish, and when I mix the two, it doesn’t make me inauthentic,” she said. “That makes me normal.”