Salma Hayek Reveals Scary Details About Her COVID-19 Experience

Salma Hayek has been regarded as one of the best actors of her generation and (though this may not be a great thing), few Latin American actors have achieved mainstream success at her level. She rose to prominence in her native country of Mexico, starring in the telenovela, "Teresa," in 1989, per Huffington Post. "The soap opera was a hit for Mexico's TV network, Televisa, and Hayek became a star," the outlet wrote. Even though she was a celebrity in Mexico, it wasn't until her 2002 film "Frida," a biopic on the famed Mexican artist, that Hayek really planted her flag on the Hollywood map. She both starred and produced the film, with (as we'd later discover) constant antagonizing from Hollywood producer and convicted abuser Harvey Weinstein. Hayek detailed the horrifying experience in The New York Times, but luckily, it didn't deter her. 

Because of her stellar performance and work on "Frida," Hayek went on to receive an Academy Award nomination, a Golden Globe nomination, and a Screen Actors Guild nomination, according to IMDB. She's gone on to star in films like "Grown Ups," "Like a Boss," and much more. Hayek has proven how brilliant she is on the big screen, but she faced another terrifying villain in COVID-19 in 2020. Read on to learn more about it.

Salma Hayek experienced a near-fatal case of COVID-19. In her recent Variety cover story, the "Desperado" star revealed that she suffered from the virus early on in the pandemic. Hayek had a serious diagnosis, but she decided to seek treatment and keep to herself in her London home. "My doctor begged me to go to the hospital because it was so bad," she told the outlet. "I said, 'No, thank you. I'd rather die at home."

According to Variety, "Hayek spent about seven weeks isolated in a room of the house. At one point, she was put on oxygen. She still hasn't fully regained the energy she once had." That being said, per the outlet she's since returned to work.

Hayek has several projects in the works. Not only will she be starring as Ajak in Marvel's "Eternals," but she is also flexing her action chops in "Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard" alongside Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson, which is the sequel to 2017's "The Hitman's Bodyguard" and is set to be released in June 2021, per Deadline. Not to mention Hayek is sharing the big screen with Lady Gaga and actor Adam Driver in Ridley Scott's buzzed-about "House of Gucci," which just wrapped its Italian production in early May, per Harper's Bazaar. It's a good thing that Hayek has recovered from her illness and is doing better, because where would Hollywood be without her?