Weeks after the controversy surrounding her identity, Hilaria Baldwin returned to social media on Friday to apologize for not being "more clear" about her Spanish heritage.
"I’ve spent the last month listening, reflecting, and asking myself how I can learn and grow," Baldwin wrote. "My parents raised my brother and me with two cultures, American and Spanish, and I feel a true sense of belonging to both. 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.
"I'm proud of the way I was raised, and we’re raising our children to share the same love and respect for both. Being vulnerable and pushing ourselves to learn and grow is what we've built our community on, and I hope to get back to the supportive and kind environment we’ve built together."
Late last year, Baldwin was accused of lying about her connection to Spain and faking an accent. Multiple videos surfaced showing her fluctuating between a Spanish and American accent. Her own casting profile biography at one point described her as being born in Mallorca, although she was born in Boston. There was also confusion over her name, as former classmates in the U.S. remember her being called Hillary, not Hilaria.
Baldwin, who has five children with husband Alec Baldwin, addressed the questions on social media back in December.
She explained that she tends to "mix" her languages and that it's something she's insecure about.
"I try to speak more clearly in each language ... but sometimes I mess it up, and it's not something that I'm playing at, so I want that to be very, very, very clear," she continued.
She also said that she used to go by Hillary when she was in the U.S. but that her family in Spain has always called her Hilaria, and that when she got older, she decided to "consolidate" and went with Hilaria.
"I think we can all be really clear that it's the same name, just a few letters difference," she said. "I think we shouldn't be so upset about it. Whatever you guys want to call me, I will respond to both."
She later announced in an Instagram story that she'd be signing off social media for a "long time."
Days later, Baldwin spoke to The New York Times about the accusations, reiterating that she had been clear about her background and that Spain is a big part of her culture, despite not being born there.
