Jimmy Fallon praised for not asking Jessica Alba the same old ‘cringe’ question: "He knows..."
Jimmy Fallon makes his celebrity guests feel at home on his talk show and he's proven this time and again! In June 2024, Jessica Alba appeared in an episode of 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' to promote her action thriller movie 'Trigger Warning'. During the interview, Alba opened up about her personal life, sharing her struggles in planning her 16-year-old daughter's birthday party and recounting a family trip to Monster Jam. Unlike other TV hosts who often comment on her looks, Fallon steered clear of such remarks. Instead, he focused on her talent, engaging her in discussions about her upcoming projects.
After the episode aired on YouTube, many viewers couldn’t stop talking about Alba’s ageless beauty. However, Fallon never mentioned her appearance once throughout the interview, earning widespread praise for keeping the focus on her talent rather than her looks. One social media user stopped by the comments section of the video and wrote, "I'm glad Jimmy is a respectful and competent host, because I would've just been like, "How?" "And to follow up on my previous question: but how though?" Another user chimed in, "More Likes For Jimmy Fallon." A netizen stated, "The beautiful, stunning and lovely actress Jessica Alba. Looking forward to her new movie “Trigger Warning”. Big up Jimmy Fallon as well." Another fan exclaimed, "The amount of people who think a 43 year old woman who's job it's been to look good for quarter of a century would look decrepit when fully made up for a TV appearance is pretty shocking." One added, "Good for Jimmy for not asking her the same old cringe questions about her appearance. Looks like he knows what to do."
At the In Goop Health summit in Los Angeles in May 2019, the Fantastic Four actress opened up about her struggles with body image. Alba revealed that, as a pre-teen and young actress, she often felt pressured to police her curves in the entertainment industry. "I was meant to feel ashamed if I tempted men. Then I stopped eating a lot when I became an actress. I made myself look more like a boy so I wouldn’t get as much attention. I went through a big tomboy phase," Alba said, as per People magazine.
Later in the discussion, Alba opened up about the harsh realities of being a young actress in Hollywood. She explained, "In Hollywood, you’re really preyed upon. They see a young girl, and they just want to touch you inappropriately or talk to you inappropriately or think that they’re allowed to be aggressive with you in a way." To protect herself, she developed a tough exterior, adding, "So, then I created this pretty intense ‘don’t f** with me’ [attitude]. I had to create a harder shell about being a woman."*
Additionally, the Honest Company founder also mentioned that she became very conscious about her body way before she stepped into Hollywood. During her childhood days, Alba faced many restrictions on her clothing choices by her conservative family as she had a curvy figure as a young girl. Alba shared, “My mom would say, ‘You have a body, and it’s very womanly, and people don’t understand that you’re 12.' I wasn’t allowed to have my nalgas out, which is butt cheeks [in Spanish], but I was born with a giant booty, and they come out of everything. So, I didn’t get to wear normal things that all my friends wore because my nalgas were out.”