Alec Baldwin Met His Wife, Hilaria, By Chance While out to Dinner in 2011

While the weekend after Christmas is often slow when it comes to internet trends, Twitter was recently ablaze after a post regarding Hilaria Thomas Baldwin's accent and background went viral. 

Hilaria has been married to actor Alec Baldwin since 2012, and the pair shares five children together. (Alec also has a daughter, Ireland Basinger Baldwin, with ex-wife, Kim Basinger.)

In the viral Twitter thread, which was originally posted on Dec. 21 by @LeniBriscoe, Hilaria was accused of faking a Spanish accent. The thread included a series of videos, which were meant to showcase an evolution in her manner of speaking. 

Hilaria's background was also called into question. She had previously discussed moving to the U.S. permanently from Spain to attend college, though she was primarily raised in Boston. 

She also admitted that her birth name is "Hillary" but that she had gone by Hilaria when she was in Spain. (She also said that her family calls her Hilaria).

The posts made the yogi's recent "feud" with Amy Schumer seem minuscule in comparison, and Alec Baldwin soon came to her defense in an Instagram video. 

How did Alec Baldwin meet his wife? Keep reading to find out where the two first met and to learn more about their family life.

The 62-year-old 30 Rock actor was first introduced to his wife in February of 2011 at the now-closed NYC vegan restaurant, Pure Food and Wine. At the time of their chance meeting, Hilaria was working as a yoga instructor at Yoga Vida.

Alec reflected about their initial encounter on Instagram in February of 2019 (which was their eighth anniversary).

"8 years ago, I wandered into Pure Food and Wine on Irving Place, on an unseasonably warm February evening. My friend, [Brendan O'Connell] and I sat down (outside!) and as I turned to my left I saw a woman who would change my life. Entirely. 8 years today. Thanks for all you've given me," he wrote, alongside a photo of the two kissing. "You are a gift."

According to The New York Times, Hilaria shared that Alec had seen her with her friends in the doorway of the restaurant. She said that he went up to her, grabbed her hand, and said that he needed to know her. He then offered her a card with his information on it. 

When she first contacted him after their restaurant meeting, Alec didn't pick up the phone. Hilaria said that when he called back, she missed the call. While this could have been the end of their connection, Alec left a voicemail. 

Eventually, Hilaria and Alec did connect, and their first date was at a restaurant in the theatre district with a group of friends.

Hilaria said that she didn't know who Alec was or what shows and movies he had been in because she had never owned a television growing up. But, she was cognizant of their 26-year age difference. Those concerns were soon allayed, however, when they connected on their date.

After embarking on their romance in the winter of 2011, the couple moved in together. They got engaged in April of 2012.

A decade after his divorce from Kim Basinger was finalized, Alec wed Hilaria at St. Patrick's Old Cathedral on June 30, 2012.

Since their Catholic nuptials, Alec and Hilaria have added five kids (who they collectively refer to as "Baldwinitos") to their brood. Their first child together, Carmen Gabriela, was born in August of 2013. 

Their first son, Rafael Thomas, arrived in June of 2015. The couple then had three more sons together: Leonardo Ángel Charles (2016), Romeo Alejandro David (2016), and Eduardo Paul (2020).

Eduardo's arrival came after Hilaria and Alec lost two pregnancies in 2019.