Psychologists explain why people lie about cultural identity as Hilaria Baldwin's 'fake' accent goes viral

Hilaria Baldwin has gone viral yet again for forgetting how to say an English word - despite being born and raised in America. 

Hilaria, 40, who was born Hillary Hayward-Thomas and grew up in an upscale neighborhood of Boston, was exposed four years ago by DailyMail.com for listing her birthplace as Majorca, Spain, despite spending her childhood in Beacon Hill. 

While her parents live in Majorca, she grew up in the states and was American - despite using a Spanish accent in interviews. 

On Monday, DailyMail.com exclusively obtained videos that showed Hilaria treating her holiday guests to 'traditional' Spanish tortilla, which she made while speaking in her now signature accented Spanglish.

Hilaria donned a plaid onesie for the Christmas festivities, where she was seen on video saying, 'I learned this from when I was a kid, don't look it up online because you'll learn something different.'

The yogi explained the secret to her recipe was making sure the potatoes were 'not cut too tiny,' and then turned to her friend and appeared to forget the English word 'onions.'

'My husband hates…cebollas,' Hilaria said, referencing her actor husband, Alec Baldwin, 66, before her friend quickly reminded her she was looking for the word 'onions.' 

After the video was exposed, FEMAIL spoke to psychologists to find out the reasons that could lead someone to continuously embellish their cultural identity.

Neuro-hacking biopsychologist Dr. Mary Poffenroth told DailyMail.com, 'Some individuals may fake their cultural identity due to a deep-seated uncertainty about their true sense of self.'

'When someone feels their real identity is somehow lacking or inadequate, their limbic system - the emotional processing center of the brain - may drive them to seek out a more "exotic" or interesting cultural persona,' Dr. Poffenroth, who wrote Brave New You, explained. 

'Though it's not their own, this need to fit into another cultural group can give a sense of self-worth and belonging that they might be lacking in their daily life.'

As to why someone would continue this behavior even after being exposed or discovered, Dr. Poffenroth, based in California, said it could be because they 'ignore or discount any evidence or criticism that runs counter to their false cultural narrative,' leading them to 'concentrate only on positive feedback and validation they obtain.' 

'Their conviction in the validity of their chosen identity can be strengthened by this selective attention, thus it becomes challenging for them to accept the truth,' according to Dr. Poffenroth, who works in the mental health space and investigates how the nervous system and brain shapes mental processes and behavior.

Family and child psychologist Caitlin Slavens, based in Canada, told FEMAIL, 'Pretending to be from a culture we are not usually comes from a deep desire for acceptance or belonging.' 

'Some feel detached from their identity and think that assimilation will offer them better social and professional opportunities,' she continued, explaining that Hilaria seemingly had 'a deep connection to Spanish culture which was fostered and highly encouraged in childhood.' 

'Once exposed, they may continue the behavior as a way to maximize shame avoidance or preserve the identity they’ve constructed - especially if they’ve linked their self-worth or public persona to the behavior,' the Mama Psychologists founder said. 

This isn't the first time the former yoga teacher has gone viral for seemingly forgetting a simple word in her native tongue while cooking. 

In 2015, Hilaria appeared in a now infamous six-minute segment on the Today Show and made an 'authentic' gazpacho.

The Living Clearly Method author listed the ingredients, and at one point, seemed to forget the English word 'cucumber.'

'We have tomatoes, we have, um, how do you say in English? Cucumber!' Hilaria said at the time. 

Hilaria and her 30 Rock star husband have also given Spanish names to all their seven children: Carmen Gabriela, 10, Rafael Thomas, 8, Leonardo Angel Charles, 7, Romeo Alejandro David, 6, Eduardo Pao Lucas, 3, Maria Lucia Victoria, 3, and Ilaria Catalina Irena, 20 months.

In an Instagram video in 2021, Hilaria defended her behavior, claiming she spent 'some of' her childhood in Spain and 'some' of it in Massachusetts.

'There was a lot of back and forth my entire life,' she said.

'I'm really lucky that I grew up speaking two different languages and I'm trying to raise my kids, so they speak two languages too. And that's something very important to me especially having my family abroad.'