Jessica Alba removes Halloween photos after Nancy Kerrigan costume sparks backlash
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Jessica Alba has seemingly removed her Halloween photos showing her recreating the infamous 1994 attack on figure skater Nancy Kerrigan after receiving mixed reactions on social media.
The actress dressed as Kerrigan alongside her friend Kelly Sawyer, who portrayed fellow skater Tonya Harding, for a Halloween party. While many social media users criticized the costume as insensitive, others defended the pair, arguing that Halloween costumes should not be taken so seriously.
Jessica Alba appears to have deleted her Halloween photos after facing backlash for dressing as figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, complete with a bloodied knee bandage, while her friend Kelly Sawyer dressed as Tonya Harding and held a baseball bat. The costumes referenced the infamous 1994 attack on Kerrigan, with some commenters calling the portrayal insensitive and accusing the pair of making light of a traumatic incident. Others defended the costumes, noting that the story has been revisited in films and television for decades. 📷 IG @ / jessicaalba
— Complex (@Complex) November 2, 2026
Jessica Alba faces backlash over Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding Halloween costumes
On Sunday, November 1, Alba, 45, shared photos of herself dressed as Kerrigan in a white dress, matching tights and ice skates. She completed the look with a bloodstained bandage wrapped around her knee, recreating the aftermath of the figure skater's infamous 1994 attack.
Her friend Sawyer, co-CEO of Baby2Baby, dressed as Harding, wearing a sparkly maroon outfit. The photographs were taken at Vas J Morgan and Michael Braun's Halloween party, which had a "Hockey Horror" theme.
Alba's original Instagram caption reportedly read, "Happy Halloween from Tonya [Harding] … and Nancy." Sawyer also held a baseball bat in the photographs, while the original attacker's weapon was a police baton.
The incident took place in January 1994, when Kerrigan was attacked by Shane Stant, who had been hired by Harding's ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly. The assault happened ahead of the Olympic qualifiers and forced Kerrigan to withdraw from the competition.
Authorities subsequently determined Harding's involvement, although she was never criminally convicted. The US Figure Skating Association later issued Harding a lifetime ban from the sport. However, Harding recently went public with plans to return to figure skating.
Alba's costume prompted divided reactions on social media. Us Weekly reported that some Instagram commenters criticized the actress as "immature" for recreating the incident. Others, however, defended the costumes.
Jessica Alba's family Halloween celebrations and relationship with Danny Ramirez
Alba's original Instagram caption also referenced her eight-year-old son, Hayes, who was dressed as a vampire. However, his costume is no longer visible on the actress' account. Alba shares Hayes and daughters Honor, 18, and Haven, 15, with her ex-husband, Cash Warren.
They announced their separation in January 2025, and their divorce was finalized earlier this year.
The actress' daughter Honor also shared her Halloween celebrations on social media. The 18-year-old posted about her unicorn costume on Instagram on Sunday.
She additionally embraced a 'Challengers' theme, sharing a TikTok video featuring two friends kissing her on the cheeks, recreating the dynamic between Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor in the 2024 tennis film.
Alba has previously shared family Halloween celebrations online. In 2024, she dressed as Coraline, complete with a blue wig, while Warren and Hayes wore matching Beetlejuice costumes. The family posed on their lawn surrounded by Halloween decorations. "Coraline and Beetlejuice walk into a bar… Happy Halloween," she captioned the photographs.
Meanwhile, Alba has been dating actor Danny Ramirez, 34, since her split from Warren. Ramirez did not offer any glimpse into his Halloween celebrations through social media over the weekend.
