NEWS
Jessica Alba: 'I accepted harassment was part of Hollywood as a young actress'
04 July 2018
Jessica Alba developed a tough skin surrounding sexual harassment early in her career, because she accepted it was part of the job.
The Sin City star never thought she'd be part of a Hollywood where abuse and misconduct was put in the spotlight, and so she's thrilled by the rise of the #MeToo and Times Up movements, and in a new interview with CNN, she opens up about the harassment she faced at the beginning of her acting life.
"I don't know, I guess you shouldn't have accepted it, but, as a young actress growing up in the business, you just accepted that that's the way you were going to be treated," the mother-of-three explains.
"You could either go this way or that way with it, and do I think I could've gotten some opportunities if I would've done this versus that? Sure. But, for me, that's just not something I was comfortable with, frankly... I mean, I've been doing this since I was 12. Imagine what that's like."
Now a formidable business woman, as well as an in-demand actress, the 37 year old admits it's high time for a movement that shines a light on predators and repeat harassers in the movie industry.
"I think things have been imbalanced for way too long and I think it's about time," she adds. "No one gave me a handout. No one gave me an opportunity. I had to fight for it, but it would be nice if I had some people who helped me along the way and I didn't have to fall on my face so much, and it would've been also nice to have more women mentor me and help me along the way (sic)."
The Sin City star never thought she'd be part of a Hollywood where abuse and misconduct was put in the spotlight, and so she's thrilled by the rise of the #MeToo and Times Up movements, and in a new interview with CNN, she opens up about the harassment she faced at the beginning of her acting life.
"I don't know, I guess you shouldn't have accepted it, but, as a young actress growing up in the business, you just accepted that that's the way you were going to be treated," the mother-of-three explains.
"You could either go this way or that way with it, and do I think I could've gotten some opportunities if I would've done this versus that? Sure. But, for me, that's just not something I was comfortable with, frankly... I mean, I've been doing this since I was 12. Imagine what that's like."
Now a formidable business woman, as well as an in-demand actress, the 37 year old admits it's high time for a movement that shines a light on predators and repeat harassers in the movie industry.
"I think things have been imbalanced for way too long and I think it's about time," she adds. "No one gave me a handout. No one gave me an opportunity. I had to fight for it, but it would be nice if I had some people who helped me along the way and I didn't have to fall on my face so much, and it would've been also nice to have more women mentor me and help me along the way (sic)."
