Jessica Alba reveals she’s stepping down as Chief Creative Officer of Honest Company

Jessica Alba has revealed that she’s stepping down as Chief Creative Officer of her lifestyle brand, The Honest Company.

The Honest Company, which Alba founded in 2012, announced her departure in a press release on 9 April. While she’s now shifting “her creative energy to new endeavours,” she’ll still continue to “provide her support and leadership as a member of Honest’s board of directors,” the company said.

Alba issued her own statement in the press release, in which she reflected on what inspired her to start The Honest Company and acknowledged how much the brand means to her. “When I created The Honest Company, I set out to change the consumer product industry and I can proudly say, we did just that,” she said. “Honest has been a true labour of love for me - one that showed me what’s possible when you infuse purpose into business. While there never would have been an easy time to make this decision, I know we have a leadership team in place to advance my founding vision and protect Honest’s reputation as an industry changemaker.”

Alba continued: “As I transition, I look forward to contributing to the company’s success in my role on the board of directors as I redirect my focus on new projects and passions.”

The Fantastic Four star also shared a post on Instagram on Tuesday to announce that she was stepping down from her leadership role at The Honest Company, which provides products for babies, skincare, makeup, and cleaning. In the caption of her Instagram post, which featured photos of her time with the brand over the years, Alba praised the leadership that her company will continue to have.

“While there would never have been an easy time to make this decision, I know we have a leadership team in place with Carla Vernón at the helm to advance our founding vision and strengthen Honest’s legacy as an industry change-maker,” she wrote.

The mother of three children - who she shares with husband Cash Warren - recalled some of the joys that came with building her company, which she said has expanded in ways she’d never imagined. “From the first concept book I pitched to my friends in Mommy and Me class, to ringing the bell at Nasdaq with my family by my side - this journey has been the ride of a lifetime, one that only existed in my wildest dreams,” she wrote.

Alba continued by thanking both “past and present” employees at The Honest Company, and expressed her gratitude to her customers for being open about their experiences as parents.

“Everyone always says you’re only as good as the people you surround yourself with - thank you for allowing me to be the best version of myself,” she wrote about the brand’s employees over the years. “And of course to our Honest families, I’m forever grateful. Reading your stories and testimonials, seeing pictures of your baby showers, monthly milestones, AM/PM routines, and everything in-between - please never stop sharing these moments with us. You are the reason we exist.”

The Honest Company went public in May 2021 when it raised $413m in its IPO. The brand opened with its price rising more than 40 per cent intra-day, and closing at $23 per share. At the time, the company was valued at more than $1.4bn and Alba earned a one-time $2.6m dividend, according toThe Hollywood Reporter, in addition to her stake in the company.

In March 2021, the Honey star opened up about her decision to pivot towards entrepreneurship and take a step back from acting. “Building a brand and building a business is f**king impossible,” she told Romper at the time. “And to be good at it and for it to thrive and scale, it is really hard. If anything, I was like, ‘Do I really want to do this?”

She also detailed some of the challenges that came with starting a brand and her process of learning more about business along the way.

“It took me three-and-a-half years just to find partners to even join me, and I got lots of rejection. I had to learn how to build decks,” she said. “In every stage, I’m trying to get better and better as a business person, but it’s a totally different skill set than just taking your influence and fame and putting your name on a package and doing a press tour, picking out a couple designs.”