And a very high-profile one at that. French Minister of Justice, Rachida Dati, has been keeping the identity of her baby daddy secret ever since she started showing, and since then rumors have been flying left and right as to who the papi is. The tabloid press swore that it was none other than French president Sarkozy, while others claimed it was Spanish president José María Aznar, as Dati remained tight-lipped. But now the press seems to believe they’ve solved the puzzle: the dad is Salma Hayek’s ex, Francois-Henri Pinault. Wowza!

Even though there had been little linking the pair, she confided: “I’m fed up with the rumours – during the whole summer they said that I was with Francois-Henri Pinault.”

A fortnight later, during a lunch between female government ministers organised by Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie, she added: “The father travels a lot.”

At the time, Mr Pinault was flying regularly from Paris to the States to see baby daughter Valentina, who lives with Hollywood star mum Salma.

OK, that sounds like a lame piece of proof. But this is a bit more juicy:

And when asked if he was indeed the father of her child, Ms Dati refused to deny it.

Mr Pinault – chief executive of luxury goods group PPR, which owns Gucci – has also refused to follow other public figures in the frame by publicly denying he is the dad.

Now he has become the “prime suspect”, with observers reckoning the biggest giveaway is Ms Dati’s altered image since being appointed to the Cabinet by President Nicolas Sarkozy.

She has been piling on designer clothes and jewellery, raising eyebrows by announcing sweeping cuts in legal staff wile wearing a £1,500 pink designer dress. That sparked gossip about how she could afford such expensive clobber on a ministerial salary.

Dati says her personal life is “complicated” and for that reason she prefers to keep the identity of the father to herself. What do you think?

Via / The Sun