Linda Evangelista has broken her silence about the controversial paternity suit she filed last year against French businessman, and husband of Salma Hayek, Francois-Henri Pinault. Prior to filing the suit, Evangelista had not revealed the identity of the father of her now-five-year-old son, Augustin. In an interview with Love magazine, the model says it was luxury conglomerate PPR head Pinault’s refusal to pay any child support that forced her to take the issue to the courts.

“I need to protect him,” she says, adding, “I never, ever used my son for publicity. He’ll have his say one day if he wants it. He’ll have the last word. He has time to defend himself.”

Pinault, who married Hayek in 2009, also conceived a child with the actress, Valentina, who is now four. Evangelista asked for $46,000 a month in child support from the purported billionaire (who is said to be worth $11.5 billion) in a Manhattan court last August.