A $5 million class-action lawsuit was filed against The Honest Company (THC), which is owned by actress Jessica Alba. The claim said that the lifestyle brand has been deceiving consumers, as its "natural" products allegedly contain synthetic additives.
According to TMZ, the lawsuit filed by Jonathan Rubin cited that some of Honest Company's products, such as the dish and hand soaps, surface cleaners and diapers, contain preservatives and are entirely not "natural" as the company claims. The suit is reportedly backed by studies made by an environmental group. The suit also cites the sunscreen products sold by THC as ineffective, following complaints from many disappointed consumers on social media, according to Today.
In response, THC released a statement thru Jessica Alba to refute the lawsuit. In it, she talked about how she started her company in her desire to find safe and effective products to use with her kids. "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," the statement read, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
"The allegations against us are 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 further said.
This isn't the first time the actress had to defend her company. Back in July, THC was under fire for the complaints against the brand's sunscreen. "As parents, it pains us to hear that anyone has had a negative experience with our Sunscreen. 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. As with everything we do, we take sun protection seriously here at Honest," wrote Jessica in the company's founders' blog.
The founders also cited that their sunscreen formula is in fact already an improvement from its less water-resistant kind, which had been harder to apply, according to People Magazine.
Jessica formed The Honest Company with Christopher Gavigan back in 2012 and developed non-toxic products to families. In a short span of time, THC rose to become a billion-dollar company. Away from her movie commitments, Alba is very hands-on with the operations of THC and keeps an L.A. office to oversee things, according to Daily Mail.
