Salma Hayek split with her fiancé and father of her baby daughter, French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault. The two met in Venice in May of 2006 and announced their engagement and Salma’s pregnancy in March of 2007. Hayek has long said she doesn’t need marriage, and even though the two were engaged, she made many conflicting statements that made it sound like she wasn’t certain if she wanted to ever formally marrying Pinault. Hayek issued a statement through her rep, which of course gave next to no details.

Salma Hayek and French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault — the father of her daughter Valentina — have called off their engagement.

“We are sad to announce the engagement of Salma Hayek and Francois-Henri Pinault has been canceled,” Hayek’s rep said in a statement to USA Today. “There will be no further comment.”

Hayek, 41, told the April issue of Glamour that she didn’t feel the “need” to get married. “Do I think we are going to get married? Probably. Will it make a difference? I hope not,” she said. “You want to grow old with someone, you want to have a partner and to have children — we have all those things,” Hayek added. “Some people need the commitment. Maybe we’ll just make the party!”

[From Us Magazine]

The pair definitely had an unusual dating strategy. They had a long distance relationship, which generally is hard on most couples. Though most couples are only able to afford to drive ten hours once a month or something, whereas billionaire Pinault could probably afford to charter his own time machine and portal to wherever Salma was.

Salma told Oprah that living far apart kept their relationship fresh.

When Salma got engaged to French businessman Francois-Henri Pinault, she says they initially had every intention of getting married after a traditional engagement. “…After I got pregnant, I don’t know why, [but] the [ceremony] part of it is not necessary because we have such a huge commitment for each other. I don’t know that we have to go through the rituals.”

Salma and Francois-Henri have a unique relationship—they are based in different cities and spend most time separated by an ocean. Still, Salma says they see each other often. “Every time he comes, it’s an event. And every time I go, it’s the same and it’s so romantic and it’s so exciting. And the time we spend together, it’s 100 percent quality time. And then the time we’re not together, I have 100 percent quality time to my baby, to myself, to my career,” she says. “So for us, it works. Now, it’s not an open marriage. Nobody think this is too modern and don’t get the wrong idea—the level of commitment is exactly the same.”

[From Oprah]

Unfortunately it sounds like it didn’t work for them in the end. While it’s sad, from what she’s said in the past it sounds like Salma will be fine. The relationship obviously meant a lot to her but wasn’t her whole world. Hopefully everybody involved will be able to pick up and move on peacefully.

Here’s Salma Hayek and her daughter Valentina in Malibu on Sunday. Header of Salma and Francois-Henri at the Costume Institute Gala on May 7th, 2007. Images thanks to WENN.