Jennifer Salke reveals the backstory of her Instagram post showing son Henry as he fulfills his dream: “As of now, it is his favorite moment in his life.”
A Super Bowl that saw the Philadelphia Eagles defeat the New England Patriots was a real family affair for the Salkes.
Like the Eagles, Fox 21 TV Studios’ Bert Salke hails from Philly; the game aired on NBC, home to NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke; and the couple’s son Henry, now 18, “had an Eagles jersey on in diapers,” Jennifer tells THR.
So when the Eagles routed the Minnesota Vikings 38-7 in the NFC Championship Game, Jennifer’s boss invited the family to Minneapolis to see the Eagles take on Tom Brady and company. “As luck would have it, NBC had the rights to this year’s Super Bowl, and when the impossible happened and the Eagles got into the big game, Bob Greenblatt invited Henry as his guest to the game so the three of us could go and sit together!” Salke explains to The Hollywood Reporter via email while on a flight back to Los Angeles from the bitterly cold state of Minnesota where game day temps hovered just above 0 degrees. “Henry’s biggest dream, literally, was for the Eagles to win a championship, though prior to this year it was never really close. Henry is also leaving for college in September, so the notion that he could experience it with his father made it extra special.”
The family spent time with some other notable Eagles fans, including Ari Greenburg and wife Andrea, Richard Weitz, Brandt Joel, Mike Tollin and Jared Levine. But the photo insiders are buzzing about now is the one featuring Henry kissing the Vince Lombardi trophy. How’d that happen?
“We were lucky enough to be invited by the team to the postgame celebration, where they brought in the Lombardi trophy,” details Salke. “Henry made a beeline for the trophy and asked if he could hold it. As of now, it is his favorite moment in his life. Well, except for perhaps the Eagles stripping the football from Tom Brady with two minutes left in the game! All in all, probably the greatest night for my husband and son ever. Truly a dream come true after all these years.”
This story first appeared in the Feb. 7 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.