Hallmark Alum Alexa PenaVega's Most Controversial Moments

If you were alive and kicking in the early 2000s, chances are your Tamagotchi was one of your most prized possessions and "Spy Kids" was the hottest new movie to watch during sleepovers. One of the main characters, Carmen Cortez, was portrayed by none other than Alexa PenaVega, and she's one of those movie actors who are unrecognizable today. We've had the pleasure of seeing her continue her acting career over the years, but while she remains famous for her work in the film industry, she's also made headlines for some of her controversial views and opinions.

When President Joe Biden implemented vaccination policies in the midst of the pandemic to stop the spread of COVID-19, his administration was met with plenty of resistance, and PenaVega was one of those who decided not to get the vaccine. She was very open about this and got plenty of backlash for it. When she liked and commented with applause emojis on a post Candace Cameron Bure shared to Instagram about why she's not getting vaccinated, it left some people seething. Bure's post stated that she's not an anti-vaxxer, but instead believes in "pro-medical freedom" and "sunlight, exercise, real food, and vitamins," among other things. PenaVega's support of the message ruffled some feathers.

Earlier that year, PenaVega opened up her Instagram Stories for questions, and someone asked her about her pro-life beliefs and how she reconciled that with being against the COVID-19 vaccine. "You are totally right. My body, my choice. The baby's body is not the woman's body, so she can't decide what to do with that body, but you can decide what to do when it comes to vaccines," she answered.

This has been but the tip of the iceberg when it comes to some of the controversy PenaVega has been caught up in.

Once you post something on social media, it can easily get blown out of proportion, and Alexa PenaVega learned this the hard way when she decided to share a mishap one of her kids had with her Instagram followers. Alexa admitted that her son, Kingston, sustained a serious injury after an accident at home. "While getting the kids ready for bed I shut Kington's fingers in the hinge of the bathroom door," she shared in an Instagram Story (via People). "His first finger is bruised and a little bloody ... but his middle finger took the brunt of it and was severed from the first knuckle near the tip." She spoke candidly about the guilt she felt afterward and how the whole event was very traumatic for her family. She praised her husband, Carlos PenaVega, for being her rock during that time. She added, "Thankfully, Kingston is already doing flips like nothing happened."

Instead of receiving empathy and well-wishes, Alexa was met with a wave of criticism after she shared the story, with some accusing her of being a violent mother. She took to Instagram again to set the record straight. "After seeing the comments about people questioning my parenting and assuming I slammed a door in a fit of rage ... absolutely not. I simply closed the door," she clarified in the caption. She showed her followers the door that caused the damage, explaining, "I didn't see his fingers in the hinge, so I just closed it. It sucks so much, but it was that simple."

While speaking to Us Weekly in 2023, Alexa PenaVega made a rather odd confession. She and her husband, Carlos PenaVega, got married in 2013 and have three kids together, but they're pretty honest about how hard it can be to make a marriage work when the honeymoon phase is long over. "I've always told people, I'm like, 'The truth is marriage is this beautiful, holy thing. It's a sacred thing. And you go through bumps,'" Alexa confessed before adding, "There was a time in our marriage where if we were not married, we would have broken up." While this was a very raw confession, Alexa said it's the hard times that have made her marriage stronger and that she and her husband have learned communication is the key to making your marriage work when things get tough. "It's when we're not communicating very well that we start to hit bumps in the road," she said.

The two have also been pretty real with their followers on Instagram. When Alexa filmed a video to update her followers on how her son Kingston was doing after his mishap, Carlos joined the video a little late and Alexa asked him, "Are you going to be salty like you were in our last video?" Carlos denied being salty but his wife disagreed. Then they had a bit of a disagreement about who had to start off the video, with Carlos eventually being the one to do it. The couple posted the video as is, giving viewers a peek at their lives behind the scenes, and most seemed to appreciate the dose of reality. "I love how genuine you guys are," one fan commented. "I love how you guys have made your life so transparent," another added.

Abortion has been a major topic of discussion in recent years, and Alexa PenaVega has been very open about her stance on abortion bans. When she broached the topic on her Instagram Stories, one follower asked her, "Is a rape victim not entitled to an abortion?" PenaVega replied, "No, it's not the baby's fault. It breaks my heart for that mother, it breaks my heart for anyone who's had to go through that experience, and I think we need better programs set up to help moms who have gone through that, but it's not the baby's fault." Naturally, this sparked plenty of controversy and anger among those who feel differently.

After the second 2024 presidential debate between Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, the topic of abortion came up as well, with Trump claiming babies are killed after birth in some instances. Harris vehemently denied this. After, activist Lila Rose took to X, formerly Twitter, writing, "There are 10,000 late term abortions every year. Kamala Harris is lying." PenaVega retweeted this, sparking even more controversy, especially since Trump's claims were extensively fact-checked and debunked by medical professionals, with OB-GYN Holli Jakalow, M.D., telling Vogue, "According to recent CDC data, 94% of abortions occur in the first trimester. The majority of other abortions are performed in the second trimester. The very small number that take place in the third trimester are usually done because of dangerous medical conditions."Jakalow added, "'Executing babies after birth' does not ever describe abortion. That is a description of murder.'"

While making an appearance on the "Speak Out" podcast, PenaVega doubled down on her views. "Why am I hardcore pro-life? Because I believe that you're killing a life. I really do," she explained.

Lara Trump has had her fair share of controversial moments over the years, so when Alexa PenaVega sat down with her for an interview on her podcast, "The Right View," it raised some eyebrows once again. Not only has Trump been linked to a dog rescue charity that was caught up in a self-dealing scandal, but she's also been accused of spreading misinformation and downplaying the dangers of the COVID-19 pandemic. As these conversations usually go, Trump and PenaVega eventually broached the subject of politics, with Trump asking PenaVega whether she would ever consider a career in politics. PenaVega recalled how she wanted to be the first female president when she was a kid. "Now, I feel like we're watching 'Scandal' in real life ... Maybe I can run for office and fix this mess," she laughed.

Continuing the discussion, PenaVega said she believes it's important to have a clear view of what you want to accomplish if you run for political office. She shared how she's very passionate about unborn babies and their rights and how she'd rather champion causes which support unborn babies and their mothers. When Trump touched on how the media portrays her family, she told PenaVega that they get through it by reminding themselves, "We know in our hearts we're good people." PenaVega seemed to nod in agreement, but it's safe to say many others would disagree, given the Trump family's track record.