Salma Hayek celebrated her lookalike daughter Valentina's birthday on Monday with a touching tribute to the 18-year-old, who celebrated her milestone day in style. The Mexican star took to Instagram to share a birthday message to her only child, whom she welcomed in 2007 with her billionaire husband, Francois-Henri Pinault. Alongside a carousel of photos from Valentina's birthday party, Salma wrote: "We ate, we danced, we laughed, we loved…and we kept the party going all weekend. Happy birthday mi cielo, celebrating you never feels long enough."
© InstagramTouching tribute
The first photo saw Valentina smiling while being embraced by her parents, with the budding star wearing a printed gray dress for the occasion. She was then videoed dancing with her mother in a stunning red slip dress, while Salma wore a peach-colored gown with dramatic draped sleeves. The third clip featured Valentina being swung around by her father as the crowd sang her "Happy Birthday", a wide grin pictured on her face.
© InstagramBack to the beginning
Salma also shared a throwback picture of Valentina as a toddler, praising her spirited personality in the caption. "My beautiful dancing queen. Today you turned 18 !!!!! So many things have changed in your life, but you are always soooo you," she wrote. "A kind, passionate heart, a wise soul full of magic, a unique unstoppable force of nature with a witty sense of humor and stubborn tenacity."
"Some things will never [change] we love you forever and although you were always ahead of your years you will always be in my heart my dream daughter. Feliz cumpleaños Valentina Paloma," she concluded.
© Getty ImagesSisterly bond
The 18-year-old's half-sister, Mathilde Pinault, also shared a sweet tribute to Valentina on her special day. She posted a photo to social media of the duo hugging, simply captioning it, "My Vale" with a heart emoji. Francois-Henri shares Mathilde and his son, Francois, with his first wife, Dorothée Lepère. He also fathered a son with supermodel Linda Evangelista named Augustin. Salma and her husband welcomed their baby girl in 2007, a year after meeting at a gala in Venice.
© David Fisher/ShutterstockFlying the nest
The Desperado actress is incredibly close with her daughter and opened up about seeing Valentina fly the nest in the coming years. "When you’re a Mexican Lebanese mother, it's a very difficult thought because we like them close," she told People.
"But I've been talking about it with my husband for a very long time. I devoted myself to my family for 18 years, but we both know that once this happens, I'm going to devote myself to my community, to my craft. And he's very excited for me to really try to go and explore what my greatest potentials are."
© Corbis via Getty ImagesValentina's future
Valentina is a film buff, yet doesn't want to pursue her passion for filmmaking by studying the craft at college. "She's going her own way," Salma told Today. "She wants to study political science and then, as a minor, film because she wants to be a director. But she doesn't want to study to be a director. She said, 'It's in my blood. I want to spend the time learning something more complicated.'"
