Hilaria Baldwin, the yoga guru turned reality TV contender, has been turning heads on season 34 of Dancing with the Stars. Just last week, she sambaed her way through a performance to the tune of "Shake it to the Max," drawing cheers from her front-row family. Indeed, all seven of her children with husband Alec Baldwin showed up, a rare full-family outing amid their hectic lives in New York. But Alec himself? He was notably absent for week two, tied up with prior commitments that demanded travel. Hilaria brushed it off lightly in interviews, saying she couldn't afford to take offense—life with a Hollywood veteran like Alec means unpredictable schedules.
Who exactly is Hilaria Baldwin, anyway? Born Hilary Thomas in Boston in 1984, she met Alec in 2011 at a Manhattan restaurant and married him a year later in a splashy ceremony. She's built a brand around wellness, founding a yoga studio and authoring books on mindful living. Yet, her early claims of Spanish roots—complete with accents and cultural nods—sparked backlash in 2020 when it emerged she'd grown up mostly in the U.S. The controversy lingers faintly, even as she pivots to primetime dance floors. Together, the Baldwins have seven kids: Carmen (11), Rafael (9), Leonardo (8), Romeo (6), Eduardo (5), Maria (4), and little Ilaria (2). Alec also has 29-year-old daughter Ireland from his prior marriage, who recently voiced public support for her stepmom on social media, dismissing inheritance jabs with a wry touch.
Moreover, the family's recent weeks haven't been all sequins and scores. Hilaria announced the heartbreaking loss of their beloved Maltese dog amid DWTS rehearsals, posting a tearful tribute that highlighted the emotional toll of her L.A. relocation. Reports swirled too about Alec being a "nightmare" on set during her debut, hovering intensely as she rehearsed steamy routines with partner Gleb Savchenko. His stone-faced reaction to their cha-cha didn't help the optics. However, Hilaria credits Alec for pushing her to join the show in the first place—a last-minute decision that uprooted the brood westward.
Through it all, Hilaria's grit shines: she admits the dances feel "uncomfortable and embarrassing" at times, yet she's committed to being brave for her viewers and kids. Fans, though, remain divided—some cheer her progress, others gripe when she's saved from elimination over favorites. Indeed, last Tuesday's episode left viewers fuming as she dodged the axe.
As Hilaria balances spotlight and strollers, one wonders how long the Baldwin family circus can keep spinning without a stumble.