© Lionel Cironneau/APAlec and Hilaria Baldwin in 2012. Lionel Cironneau/AP
- Alec and Hilaria Baldwin (née Hayward-Thomas) met at an NYC restaurant in 2011.
- Alec publicly defended Hilaria throughout her 2020 Spanish heritage controversy.
- Recently, the couple welcomed their sixth child together after having their fifth a few months ago.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
Alec and Hilaria Baldwin (née Hayward-Thomas) first met 10 years ago during a chance encounter in New York City.
The couple wed shortly after and have since welcomed six children together while handling a few headline-making controversies.
Read on for a timeline of Alec and Hilaria Baldwin's relationship.
February 2011: They met for the first time at a restaurant in New York City
Alec and Hilaria met when he spotted her at the since-closed restaurant Pure Food and Wine in New York. The actor said he'd been dining outside with a friend when he saw Hilaria.
Hilaria later told The New York Times in 2012 that Alec was compelled to approach her that night.
She said, "I was standing near the door with my friends when he walked up and took my hand and said, 'I must know you.'"
He gave her his phone number and, although Hilaria said she was unsure at first, she eventually called him and they set up a date.
Spring 2011: The two started dating and, at first, took things pretty slow
According to the Daily Mail, Hilaria told BEACH magazine in 2013 that she and Alec didn't have their first kiss right away.
"He shook my hand for six weeks," she said. "We'd have the most romantic dinner date, and afterward he'd drop me off at my house and shake my hand."
She said that, at first, she wasn't sure whether he wanted to date her or just be her friend.
Summer 2011: Alec and Hilaria moved in together
Around five months after they met, the couple moved in together.
According to that same Daily Mail article from 2013, Hilaria told BEACH magazine, "I think we knew fairly soon because we built a real relationship very early on."
"We got to know each other in a way I think most people forgo if they start dating first, then learn about each other after," she continued.
April 2012: They got engaged
© Provided by INSIDERHilaria and Alec Baldwin married in 2012. Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
Less than a year after moving in together, Alec proposed to Hilaria.
At the time, his rep confirmed to People, "Yes, it's true! Alec proposed to Hilaria this weekend and we're all excited for the newly engaged couple. Alec's birthday is tomorrow-great way to celebrate!"
June 30, 2012: The couple got married in New York
Alec and Hilaria wed at the Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral in New York at the end of June 2012. It was Alec's second marriage - the actor was previously to married actress Kim Basinger - and Hilaria's first.
Celebrity attendees included Tina Fey, Lorne Michaels, Woody Allen, Mariska Hargitay, and Alec's brothers, Billy and Stephen Baldwin.
August 23, 2013: Hilaria gave birth to their first child together
In February 2013, the then-newlyweds had announced that they were expecting their first child together. This would be Alec's second child - he shares a daughter, Ireland Baldwin, with ex-wife Basinger.
On August 23, 2013, Hilaria tweeted that he had just given birth to their daughter, Carmen Gabriela.
June 17, 2015: Their second child and first son was born
Nearly two years after welcoming their daughter into the world, Hilaria posted a photo on Instagram announcing the birth of her second child and first son.
She wrote, "We are happy to announce the birth of Rafael Thomas Baldwin," alongside a photo of the baby's hand in her own.
September 12, 2016: The couple announced the birth of their third child
Hilaria shared a photo on Instagram of herself holding her second son in a hospital bed.
A post shared by Hilaria Thomas Baldwin (@hilariabaldwin)
She captioned the photo, "We are so pleased to introduce you to our new baby, Leonardo Ángel Charles Baldwin. It was such a special day bringing him into this world."
Alec posted his own photo of himself smiling and holding the baby with the caption, "Leoncito!!!!!"
November 2016: Alec spoke about how the two have different parenting styles due to their 26-year age gap
© Andy Kropa/Invision/APHilaria and Alec Baldwin in 2014. Andy Kropa/Invision/AP
Alec spoke to Elle Decor about Hilaria's influence on his parenting style and how their 26-year age gap has impacted how they raise their kids.
Alec called Hilaria "very patient," and the two explained that they were raising their children to be bilingual because Hilaria spent much of her childhood in Spain.
Alec talked about their different views on parenting and said, "It's a generational thing. I'm a lot older, and when I grew up there was none of this bargaining and negotiating you do with kids now. Making them understand."
He continued, "My father was like, 'Oh, I'll make you understand!' My mother used to hit us with a curtain rod, you know, people used to hit their kids with kitchen utensils. But [Hilaria] is the best mommy, she respects them, she honors them."
May 17, 2018: The two welcomed their fourth child together
On May 17, Hilaria gave birth to their fourth child, Romeo Alejandro David Baldwin.
She shared a photo of Carmen holding her new baby brother and wrote that, at the time, they were still trying to think of a name.
April 2019: On Instagram, Hilaria shared that she was having a miscarriage
About a year after giving birth to Romeo, Hilaria posted a photo on Instagram of herself in her underwear with her hand on her stomach.
In a long, heartfelt caption, Hilaria opened about how she believed she was in the midst of having a miscarriage and wanted to be open about her experience.
She went on to say that the baby's heartbeat wasn't strong and that the chances were "very, very small that this is a viable pregnancy." She ended the caption by saying, "I'm feeling a bit fragile and I need support."
A few days later, Hilaria confirmed on Instagram that she had a miscarriage, writing, "There was no heartbeat today at my scan. so it's over."
April 18, 2019: For the first time, Hilaria opened up about her relationship to her stepdaughter
After receiving criticism for not mentioning Ireland when talking about her family, Hilaria shared a long Instagram caption under a photo of her and her stepdaughter.
A post shared by Hilaria Thomas Baldwin (@hilariabaldwin)
She wrote that she loves Ireland as much as her biological children, and said having a grown stepdaughter can be a "delicate matter."
Hilaria also said she has "tremendous respect" for Ireland's mother.
November 2019: Hilaria shared that she had another miscarriage
Not long after announcing another pregnancy, Hilaria shared that she had experienced another miscarriage.
She posted a video on Instagram of herself and her daughter Carmen and wrote that they had learned the baby had "passed away at 4 months."
April 6, 2020: Hilaria announced that she was pregnant again
Months after her second miscarriage, Hilaria posted a video of her baby's heartbeat as an announcement that she and Alec were expecting again.
She wrote that "all is healthy" with the child.
September 8, 2020: The couple announced the birth of their fifth child
Hilaria revealed their fifth baby, Eduardo Pau Lucas Baldwin, with a photo of her, Alec, and the newborn in a hospital room.
She wrote, "We had a baby last night. He is perfect and we couldn't be happier. Stay tuned for a name."
A few hours later, Alec posted the same photo and wrote, "Numero cinco esta aqui. (Para mi numero seis)," which translates to "Number five is here. for me, number six), and added, "I love you @hilariabaldwin my karma is your karma. Your karma is mine."
December 2020: A Twitter thread accusing Hilaria of faking her Spanish accent and upbringing went viral
© Richard Shotwell/Invision/APHilaria and Alec Baldwin in 2018. Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Toward the end of December, a viral Twitter thread claiming that Hilaria, who was born in Boston, has spent years leading people to believe she was from Spain began trending.
The thread examined Hilaria's past and appeared to show some discrepancies between what Hilaria had described and what actually happened.
For example, in 2013, Alec said Hilaria was born in Spain even though she grew up in Boston.
That same year, Hilaria retweeted a Latina magazine article calling her one of the "15 Best Dressed Latina Stars of the Week" without correcting the publication's classification of her as a "Latina star."
A full timeline of the controversies and discrepancies surrounding Hilaria's heritage can be viewed here.
Alec was quick to defend his wife on social media with an 8-minute Instagram video captioned, "Consider the source." He went on to call social media "the enemy," called the speculation "ridiculous," and urged people not to listen to the things others were saying.
The next day, Alec posted another photo on Instagram of a quote that stated, "A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes."
In an interview with The New York Times later that month, Hilaria addressed the statements accusing her of being misleading about her heritage.
"The things I have shared about myself are very clear. I was born in Boston. I spent time in Boston and in Spain," she said. "My family now lives in Spain. I moved to New York when I was 19 years old and I have lived here ever since. For me, I feel like I have spent 10 years sharing that story over and over again. And now it seems like it's not enough."
January 6, 2021: Alec showed support for Hilaria by sending a sweet birthday message to her on Instagram
In the midst of the controversy surrounding Hilaria, Alec wrote a special message to her for her birthday alongside a photo of them and their children.
He wrote, "Happy birthday to the love of my life. To the only person in the world who brings me joy and peace every day. The person who is my home. My everything."
February 2021: After a brief social-media break, Hilaria reappeared on Instagram with an apology
Alongside a photo of her, Alec, and their kids, Hilaria apologized for misrepresenting her background and culture.
She wrote that she had spent the last month "listening, reflecting, and asking myself how I can learn and grow," and went on to explain that she was raised as American and Spanish and feels "a true sense of belonging to both."
She continued, "The way I've spoken about myself and my deep connection to two cultures could have been better explained---I should have been more clear and I'm sorry."
March 1, 2021: Alec and Hilaria surprised fans when they announced that they had welcomed their sixth child
© Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty ImagesAlec and Hilaria Baldwin met in 2011. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
The couple took many by surprise when they announced the birth of their sixth child just six months after the birth of their son, Eduardo.
Hilaria posted a photo of herself with a newborn and her other five children with "7" in the caption.
The next day, she posted a photo of a newborn girl with the caption, "We are so in love with our daughter, Lucia. Just like your brothers and sisters, you are a dream come true."
March 2, 2021: Alec swore at an Instagram user who was talking about their sixth child and accusing him of 'clickbait'
Alec reshared Hilaria's photo and received an array of negative comments, with many wondering how Alec and Hilaria had another baby so soon after welcoming Eduardo in September.
"Who's the mother? She wasn't pregnant. She gave birth six months ago. If it was a surrogate just say that," one user wrote. "If the baby was adopted just say that. If you don't want to say anything---why don't you both stop constantly posting and begging for clickbait. Just raise your 100 children in private."
Alec responded, "You should shut the f--- up and mind your own business."
March 3, 2021: A few sources confirmed that Alec and Hilaria used a surrogate for their sixth child
Multiple sources, including People and E! News, confirmed that the Baldwins used a surrogate to welcome their sixth child.
Representatives for the couple did not respond to Insider's previous requests for comment.
Read More:
A complete timeline of Hilaria Baldwin's contradictory and misleading public life, and how it all blew up
Alec Baldwin defends his wife, Hilaria, from 'hate and venom' after people accused her of faking her Spanish accent and heritage
Hilaria and Alec Baldwin reportedly used a surrogate to give birth to their 6th child
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