Jessica Alba [1] is a mom [2], wife [3], entrepreneur, red carpet showstopper [4] — and InStyle's July 2016 cover star. The Honest Company founder is the epitome of Summer chic on her latest cover wearing a dainty white Victoria Beckham [5] dress and posing in a meadow with wet hair and just a touch of rosy color on her lips.
Beyond looking stunning [6] for the shoot, Jessica opened up to the magazine [7] about everything from her childhood to her status as a sex symbol and even what catapulted her decision to start her own business. Read on for a sneak peek at the issue, which hits stands June 10, and then check out her super unexpected Billboard Music Awards look [8].
- On her childhood: "I was definitely born different . . . I loved to challenge authority. I was a very difficult child to parent. I was hyper. I didn't sleep a lot. And being sick so often and being in and out of the hospital so much made it hard to form relationships."
- On her status as a lad-mag lust object: "My sexuality made me very uncomfortable. I remember my first Maxim shoot, they were telling me to pose a certain way, and I was like, 'Agh! I'm 19. I'm a virgin. I don't even know how to do that.' It was so awkward."
- On her sex-symbol status at 25: "I sort of went through a life crisis. I was like, 'This isn't what I set out to be. I'm so much more than this, but I don't know how not to be a sex symbol.'"
- On starting The Honest Company: "It's not just about which detergent you use. It's about education, letting people know what they're being exposed to and giving them options. It shouldn't only be people who live in a certain tax bracket who have access to healthy products."
- On her character in Mechanic: Resurrection: "She can hold her own, and she's tough, and she kicks ass. So that's why I wanted to do it."