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Salma Hayek on Society Pressuring Women into Marriage

Aired on 09/19/2003 | CC
Salma Hayek, who's been married to a French businessman since 2009, believes marriage can be a wonderful thing—but she also sees danger in rushing to the altar in search of validation.

During her 2003 Oprah Show appearance, shot several years before she tied the knot, Salma told Oprah that many people believe they're getting married because of love when something else may be going on. "Sometimes, it's even because you want to prove it to the rest of the world," she said. "So, it's not even about the love between a couple."

Our culture is to blame, she continued. "There's really so much pressure. It's almost like if you don't get married, people see you—'Oh, she's not loved'—and you're like an outcast. And it makes you feel, like, lonely, and like you have this pressure, like you have to become this wife or you have to become this mother."

Here, the actress explains in depth her thoughts on relationships. Plus, Oprah responds to women who think she's not "complete" because she isn't married.