Jessica Alba was once one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, but she has turned away from the limelight since. Her career was marked by highs and lows, and Alba enjoyed a lot of success at the height of her popularity.
The actress’ journey to stardom was not easy, though, and it took her years to open up about her troubles. What Alba endured during her teenage years was nothing short of horrific, and she still carries those scars to this day, with her experiences mirroring that of Sydney Sweeney’s.
Jessica Alba’s teenage years were marked by bullying and harassment
Jessica Alba found fame after starring in films such as Sin City and The Fantastic Four. She had a long line of directors vying to sign her on board since she was the poster girl for Hollywood for a long time.
However, the actress did not have smooth sailing in her life before her career took off. Older men would often leer at her, and she recalled that her youth pastor had pinned the blame on her for wearing indecent clothes when she had not.
Her horrors did not end there. Alba was the subject of severe bullying and harassment during her teenage years. It got so bad, that the Dark Angels star had to be accompanied to school by her father. Her journey is similar to Sydney Sweeney‘s journey as well, who was bullied mercilessly by children and parents alike. It got to a point where she had to leave school to pursue her career.
The bullying took its toll on her since her body and her appearance were mainly the topics of aggravation. As a direct consequence, she developed an eating disorder and struggled with obsessive-compulsive disorder and severe anxiety. She finally had to get help when her weight dropped below 44 kg.
The Honey actress was not fond of her looks either. In an interview with The Sun, she connected how her eating disorder impacted the way she saw herself too. “I never see myself as a beautiful woman and have never traded on that to get ahead in this business,” she said (via Glamour).
Jessica Alba might have withdrawn from the limelight in recent years, but she used to be a force to be reckoned with, and her absence can be felt. She has been in the industry for nearly three decades, and it has been fraught with difficulties. However, she also has her mother to thank for potentially saving her from a horrible fate.
Jessica Alba could have been the potential target of a predator
Alba made her acting debut in Camp Nowhere in 1994, when she was only 13 years old. As she began to further her career, her mother accompanied her on the set of Dark Angels.
In an interview with ELLE, the actress confessed that she could have been a potential victim because she started out at such a young age. Thankfully, it did not, and most importantly, she had her mother to keep an eye out for her.
“I could have been a potential target for a predator, but luckily, I wasn’t. There were a few times when things felt uncomfortable, but they never escalated too much, thankfully. I’m truly grateful to God for this because many others haven’t been as fortunate, especially starting out young as I did. Having my mom with me all the time really made a difference,” she said.
Hollywood is complex, and it is fraught with problems, but artists do their best to navigate them. Alba did it for decades before she decided to take a step back. Fans, though, will hope she returns to screens soon.
