Jessica Alba Says $5 Million Lawsuit 'Baseless and Without Merit'
A consumer is suing her Honest Company for deceptive marketing.
— -- Actress Jessica Alba responded today to a $5 million lawsuit filed against her company, by calling the claims in the suit "baseless and without merit."
Alba's The Honest Company is being sued by a customer who claims the brand "deceptively and misleadingly labeled and marketed its products," according to the court documents obtained by ABC News.
In the suit, filed on Thursday in Northern California District Court, Jonathan Rubin's attorneys allege that several items, including the brand's hand soap, dish soap, multi-surface cleaner and diapers, were marketed as having only natural ingredients, but in reality also have "unnatural" ingredients, some of which include "a synthetic preservative" and "a synthetic surfactant" and a petrochemical-based additive in the diapers. The suit also claims that The Honest Company's Sunscreen was ineffective.
Rubin is bringing the class-action lawsuit against The Honest Company "on behalf of a nationwide class including all other similarly situated purchasers of the Products." In addition to the claims of "unnatural" ingredients in the suit, there are exhibits and screenshots of the company's marketing, plus citations from the company's blog, which refers to the "power of chemistry" in its products.
"Honest stated on the 'honestly blog' that Cocamidopropyl Betaine 'isn't found in nature,'" according to the suit, which also claims that ingredient is found in the company's dish soap. "Based on Honest's representations that the Products were natural, Plaintiff and the Class paid a premium for the Products over comparable products that did not purport to be natural."
Alba responded today to the suit, saying in a statement from her rep, "We believe that consumers deserve to know what's in their products -- whether it's diapers for their children, cleaning products for their families or beauty products for themselves. Our formulations are made with integrity and strict standards of safety, and we label each ingredient that goes into every product -- not because we have to, but because it's the right thing to do."
She then addressed the allegations, calling them "baseless and without merit."
"We strongly stand behind our products and the responsibility we have to our consumers. We are steadfast in our commitment to transparency and openness," the statement added.
The lawsuit comes shortly after customers began posting pictures on social media and on Amazon, claiming to have used the Honest Sunscreen SPF 30 and gotten burned because it was not effective.
Last month, Alba, 34, and her company's co-founder, Chris Gavigan, defended the sunscreen on the company's website, explaining it had gone through extensive third-party testing and passed all requirements.
"We develop and use Honest Sunscreen to protect our own children -- Honor, Haven, Luke, Evie, and Poppy -- at the park, in the pool, outside, every day,” the founders wrote in a letter on their website, adding that they "take sun protection seriously."
On the company's page, it describes Honest as an "online destination dedicated to providing you the best in natural, healthy, and stylish living ... our goal is to help you create a safe, non-toxic, and beautiful home one small step at a time."
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