Jessica Alba: Social media gave me a voice

Jessica Alba is thankful for social media giving her a platform to be herself.

The 35-year-old actress and businesswoman – who has daughters Honor, eight, and Haven, four, with her husband Cash Warren – has admitted that until the introduction of sites such as Twitter and Instagram she felt her whole life was made up of portraying different images, which made her feel like a "puppet".

However, she soon felt a sense of release once she could speak her mind online because for the first time she was able to be "authentic" and have her own voice after feeling "disconnected" for so many years.

In an interview with Red magazine, she explained: "So much of my life was in other people’s hands. A movie studio would market me a certain way for a certain demographic, or a publisher had to portray me a certain way for their audience. I was this puppet, and I understood why, but I felt so disconnected from this version of me that everybody knew, or thought they know.

"Social media was the first time I really got to be authentic and speak in my own voice. It’s so great to have an outlet where I can be me."

Meanwhile, the ‘Sin City’ star says when she’s at home with her husband Cash they are "equal partners".

She said: "We are equal partners in raising our kids, we are equal partners what we do in the home, and we are equal partners in going out and working. Ambition is important because you only live once."