All The Red Flags That Hinted Jessica Alba And Cash Warren's Marriage Would Never Last

Jessica Alba and Cash Warren's long, strange marriage of 16 years is reportedly over.  According to a January 8, 2025 report by TMZ, the couple of nearly two decades is gearing up to file for divorce, though the reason for the split remains under wraps. Honestly, though, anyone paying attention probably isn't shocked — these two have been dropping hints of trouble in paradise for a while now, just like many of the other celebrity couples we can't see lasting in 2025.

Alba and Warren met in 2004 on the set of "Fantastic Four," where Alba played Sue Storm and Warren worked as a director's assistant. They started as friends before their connection blossomed into something deeper. Interestingly, Alba had never been a fan of dating, but meeting Warren changed everything. "I was not good at dating, I didn't know how to do it, all of it, I was just weird, insecure," Alba said in a "Works For Us" podcast appearance. "And so with Cash, it was the first time I met someone and I felt like — I called my best friend actually the day I met Cash ... and I was like, 'It's so weird, I feel like I've met this guy before named Cash and I feel like I'm just going to know him for the rest of my life. It just feels comfortable. ... It feels like family.'" And they did eventually build a family with three kids — Hayes, Haven, and Alba's lookalike daughter Honor — and seemed to have it all.

Or so it seemed. The pair was reportedly spotted without their wedding rings — a clear sign that their marriage was on the rocks. But to anyone paying close attention, it's hardly the first indication that they were headed to splitsville. Red flags and rocky moments were sprinkled throughout their marriage, making the news of their split feel more inevitable than shocking.

Jessica Alba and Cash Warren's marriage always seemed like one of those Hollywood success stories — until it wasn't. In a June 2024 appearance on SiriusXM's "The Morning Mash Up," the "Honey" star dished details about their relationship struggles, admitting that even in the honeymoon phase, they were already thinking of throwing in the towel. "In love, you go through that [first] two and a half years, which is not real. And then after two and a half years, the reality of what your relationship is comes together," she shared, adding, "[During] those early days, it feels like, 'We're never gonna find our way back to each other.' But we keep choosing to figure it out." But despite the all drama and the "hard times," they kept choosing to stick it out. "It's not gonna be permanent," she added. "Like, you can find your way back to each other."

Warren, for his part, wasn't shy about airing their dirty laundry either. On the "Whine Down with Jana Kramer" podcast, he got real about their phases of emotional distance that he eventually got used to. "Going through a few of those cycles, I no longer get as nervous and kind of start looking at the door. I no longer get as nervous when you're drifting apart, so to speak, or your energy is off," he said. Sure, calm detachment sounds healthy — until it's not. Given their history of taking turns emotionally checking out, it's hardly shocking that this time, they chose to make the break permanent.

In addition to their emotional distancing, Jessica Alba and Cash Warren have also gone through a breakup early on in their relationship, primarily due to Warren's issues with jealousy. Apparently, being married to one of Hollywood's hottest stars proved too much for his ego, and he ended up dumping her. Yes, you read that right — he broke up with Jessica Alba because other guys thought she was attractive. "When we first started dating, I was really jealous of other guys and the attention she was getting from other guys, and it just wasn't making me feel good," he said in his chat with Jana Kramer. "I was always a pretty confident person in my own — kind of walking my own path and really happy there, and next thing you know, I'm looking up and feeling jealous all the time." He confessed that the green-eyed monster turned him into someone he didn't like, forcing a temporary split.

But, as we know, they eventually patched things up. And to his credit, it seems like Warren figured out how to get a handle on his jealousy issues. He even learned how to not flinch when Alba had to get up close and personal with other actors on set. "What's nice about having a partner who understands the business ... is that he understands what it takes to do it," the Honest Company founder shared in a "The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast" appearance. "I'm working 16 hours a day. It's not glamorous; it's pretty intense."

Jessica Alba and Cash Warren may have looked like the picture-perfect couple, but behind the scenes, things were far from fairy-tale perfect. In their more than a decade of marriage, Alba admitted they weren't exactly basking in marital bliss for most of it, sharing in a chat with Katherine Schwarzenegger on her Instagram series, "Before, During & After Baby," that their relationship often felt more like a co-living arrangement because of parenting duties. "It's all rosy for two and a half years. But then after that you become roommates. You're just going through the motions. You have the responsibilities; it's a lot of, like, checking the boxes, right?" she said (via People), adding that even their attempts to keep the romance alive with weekly date nights flopped. "We're just not consistent. But being able to communicate when you're unhappy and nipping it right away instead of letting it sort of fester, and then you have animosity and then it explodes — which we've gone through that one!"

Still, Alba found solace in their unshakable partnership, even if the romance wasn't always front and center. "Right after I met [Cash], I called my best friend and was like, 'I met this guy and I feel like I've known him forever and I'm gonna know him for the rest of my life,'" she told Cosmopolitan in 2010 (via Us Weekly). "The romantic stuff comes and goes, but it's like, 'Does that person have your back?' You have to be a team navigating through wherever life may lead you and I want a friend for that."

Jessica Alba didn't just juggle a marriage with Cash Warren — she also balanced being a parent and the driving force behind her multi-million dollar beauty empire, The Honest Company. Until stepping down as CCO, Alba was calling all the shots and even quit acting because of it, but her girl boss era came with a cost. According to a source close to the couple, her workaholic tendencies took a toll on her marriage. "[Jessica] is consumed with work, and her relationship with Cash is suffering for it," the insider told The National Enquirer (via OK!). "He wants her to focus more on their marriage and family life."

Alba herself didn't deny that her work and other responsibilities often edged out their relationship. "I think that he probably gets the short end of the stick. And it's not even him, I would say it's us," she shared in her interview with Katherine Schwarzenegger. She went on to reflect on how the comfort of a long-term partnership can lead to taking each other for granted. "We have, obviously, the friendship, the comfort of 'you're not going anywhere,' so sometimes you don't treat those people the best. You don't consider their feelings in the way that you would consider other people's feelings. That is something I think is a constant one to work on."

Jessica Alba and Cash Warren tried to keep their marriage afloat, but the spark that once fueled their relationship eventually fizzled out. According to a People insider, this wasn't a sudden burnout — it had been an issue for years. "Jess has mentioned over the years though that it's hard to keep the spark," they claimed, but also shared that despite parting ways, there's apparently no dramatic blowout or bad blood between the two. "[Jessica and Cash are] friends and all about the kids," they said. "No matter what's going on right now, it seems they will remain close. If they're filing for divorce, it's not because of some hateful drama. They still look happy together."

And it seems their friendship will outlast their marriage. In June 2024, Alba told the outlet that their bond runs deeper than romance. They can't imagine life without each other, no matter what that may look like. "Anytime we ebb or flow, we just look around and it's like, 'Actually, at my worst, I'm still better off with you,'" she said. "You have to look up and say, 'Would my life be better if we weren't together?' And every time, it's, 'No.' We're friends, you know?"