Disputing claims that he has been 'paying zero' toward raising Augustin, Francois-Henri Pinault insists he has 'recognized' the 4-year-old boy, who is totally integrated within his family, since 2007.
- September 12, 2011
AceShowbiz -
Francois-Henri Pinault has finally broken his silence in his child support case with Linda Evangelista. In the current French issue of Elle magazine, the husband of Hollywood actress Salma Hayek denies allegations that he has never helped the supermodel with the raising of their 4-year-old son.
Pinault insisted that he has "recognized" Augustin James, who was born in October 2006 eight months after he and Evangelista separated, since 2007. The businessman stressed that the boy "has participated in [his] family life whether in France or the United States" at every possible opportunity.
To the magazine, Pinault further shared that Augustin even has a relationship with half-sister Valentina, his daughter with Hayek that was born in September 2007. "He is totally integrated within my family," added the 49-year-old.
Although Evangelista has kept the identity of Augustin's father a secret for years, her visit to Manhattan Family Court in August uncovered that Pinault actually fathered the 4-year-old boy. Filing a child support suit against her ex, the supermodel is seeking $46,000 a month for their child's care including 24-hour nannies and armed drivers.
