Here's the Story of Jessica Alba's Harrowing 1996 Real-Life Kidnapping
She disappeared without a trace for 14 hours.
Published Jan. 29 2025, 5:03 p.m. ET
Children of the late 1980's and early 1990's can almost certainly remember the fun series called Flipper. A reboot of a series from the 1960's, the 1990's version of the story focused on a scientist working with a team in Florida to study dolphins.
Over its five-year run, the series starred Whip Hubley, Anja Coleby, Gus Mercurio, Darrin Klimek, and of course; Jessica Alba.
While the show was all sandy beaches, crystalline waves, and fun in the sun, there was a dark mystery lurking underneath the sparkly facade. Jessica Alba, now known for so many other shows and movies, was the victim of an abduction in 1996 in the middle of her two-year run on the show.
An abduction that is as mysterious today as it was more than a quarter of a century ago. Here's what we know about the harrowing story.
Jessica Alba was once the victim of a mysterious abduction.
To set the scene: Flipper is at the height of its popularity. It's 1996, and the crew is filming Season 2 of the revival in Australia. Jesica Alba is 15 years old and gaining popularity rapidly between her growing acting skills and her up-and-coming career.
One day, as Jessica was in the middle of shooting scenes for the series, she disappeared without a trace. According to reports at the time, the cast, crew, and her family all searched frantically. For 14 hours, she might as well have disappeared off the face of the planet for all intents and purposes.
It was a terrifying 14 hours, but the ending of the story was far from the worst-case scenario.
After those 14 hours, Jessica was found gagged and tied up in the trunk of a car, a few miles from filming.
They never did find the person who abducted her. The only clues they had to work off were that Jessica had received some unsettling phone calls prior to the kidnapping. Some believe the incidents were related, but to this day it remains an unsolved mystery.
The shocking story resurfaced after news broke that Jessica was splitting from her husband.
Ever since it occurred, Jessica has been tight-lipped about what she experienced. Of course, that's not atypical for Jessica. She is known for being stingy about what details she shares about her private life.
Nonetheless, the entire incident was revived in the news cycle after sharing a major bit of private news.
In January 2025, Jessica revealed that she would be splitting from her husband of nearly 20 years, Cash Warren. On Instagram, she posted, "I've been on a journey of self-realization and transformation for years - both as an individual and in partnership with Cash. I'm proud of how we've grown as a couple and in our marriage over the last 20 years and now it's time for us to embark on a new chapter of growth and evolution as individuals."
She continued, "We are moving forward with love and kindness and respect for each other and will forever be family. Our children remain our highest priority at the time," she concluded, requesting privacy for her family.
Cash and Jessica first met in 2004 on the set of Fantastic Four, and they share three children together.
It's unclear why her abduction story re-circulated with news of her split, but it seems likely that she will not be adding any new information to what we already know about the kidnapping.