Kidnapped at age 15: the difficult childhood of Jessica Alba

A traumatic childhood

Jessica Alba has established herself as one of Hollywood's most prominent figures in the 21st century. Her rise to fame began in 2000 when, at age 19, she starred in the series 'Dark Angel', which catapulted her to stardom. What not everyone knows is that on the way to reaching the top, the young woman endured a youthful ordeal, including a kidnapping.

In Hollywood since the age of 13

However, the young actress already had a notable filmography before reaching adulthood, as she began working in 1994 on the film 'Camp Nowhere'.

It happened in 1996

It was a year later, in 1996, when Jessica Alba would suffer perhaps the most traumatic experience of her life: a 14-hour kidnapping about which little or nothing is known, more than 30 years later.

She was 15 years old

It all happened during the filming of the series 'Flipper', where the actress played Maya Graham for two seasons (1995-1997) and 44 episodes.

And Jessica Alba disappeared

At just 15 years old and in the middle of filming the show, Jessica Alba disappeared, sending panic through the set.

Disturbing calls

According to the Daily Mail, the actress had been receiving strange and disturbing calls on the set, but Jessica Alba didn't want to give it too much importance, assuming it was a joke.

Missing for 14 hours

The joke turned into a crime when the young actress was kidnapped and held in hiding for 14 hours, during which no one knows what happened.

And suddenly, she appeared

The Express Tribune recalls how Jessica Alba unexpectedly appeared bound and blindfolded in the trunk of a car. They had found her, but what had happened during those intense and endless 14 hours?

Unsolved case

The police investigated every possible avenue but never found those responsible for the kidnapping or any clues about what happened.

Blindfolded the whole time

Jessica Alba was completely cooperative with authorities, but her input was very limited because, as she admitted, she was blindfolded at all times and could not see her captor or kidnappers.

Why was she released?

Obviously, it was never clarified how she ended up being released and left in the trunk of the car, but the investigation was closed in that distant 1995 and Jessica Alba chose to leave that memory blocked in the past.

She has never spoken about the subject

What's more, the actress has been asked about the matter in several interviews and has never commented on it, dodging questions as best she could.

Speculations of all kinds

And, of course, by not commenting on the facts, the theories that have emerged since 1995 have been of all kinds, even going so far as to claim that he did it to attract media attention and publicity, although all without a solid basis to stand on.

It was not the only traumatic event

The complicated thing for Jessica Alba is that this kidnapping, despite being a tremendously traumatic event, was not the only difficult chapter the actress had to go through in her childhood.

Complicated step to adulthood

In a 2006 interview with Elle, the actress recounted the problems she faced in her youth due to her physical appearance and undeniable attractiveness.

She was a minor

"When older men would hit on me, and my youth pastor said it was because I was wearing provocative clothing, when I wasn't. It just made me feel like if I was in any way desirable to the opposite se* that it was my fault, and it made me ashamed of my body and being a woman," she recalled.

Chronic and serious illnesses

In a more recent interview with 'Romper' in 2021, the actress also addressed her health issues. "My mother had cancer at a really young age, in her early 20s. I grew up with chronic illness. I had five surgeries before I was 11 years old. I had chronic allergies, and I was hospitalized a lot as a child," she noted.