Who is Rachel Hollis? Divorce, Controversy and More

Who is Rachel Hollis? She is a well-known motivational speaker, author, and lifestyle influencer. She rose to fame with her bestselling book Girl, Wash Your Face and built a multi-million dollar media company focused on empowering women. However, Rachel has faced backlash and controversy surrounding her divorce from Dave Hollis in 2020. Here is an in-depth look at Rachel Hollis’ background, career, divorce, controversies, and more:

Rachel Hollis Background and Early Life

• Rachel Hollis (née Chavez) was born on January 9, 1983 in Weedpatch, California. She grew up in Riverside County with her parents and two siblings.
• Rachel had a tumultuous childhood. Her parents divorced when she was young and she claims she grew up in poverty.
• She attended Mira Loma High School where she was valedictorian. Rachel put herself through college at California State University, Chico.
• In college, Rachel started dating Dave Hollis. They married on July 24, 2004 when Rachel was 21 years old.
• After graduating in 2005 with a degree in communications, Rachel worked various jobs in event planning, marketing, and PR in Los Angeles.

Rise to Fame and Girl, Wash Your Face

• In 2010, Rachel started a lifestyle blog called TheChicSite.com focused on parties, crafts, recipes, and family life.
• The blog gained popularity and Rachel started getting brand sponsorships. She self-published her first book Party Girl in 2012.
• In 2013, Rachel and her husband Dave moved to Austin, Texas to work for Disney. Rachel was head of global communications for Disney’s Thematic Park Products and Dave worked in theatrical marketing.
• While at Disney, Rachel built her blog and social media following to over 1 million fans. She left Disney in 2016 to focus on her brand full-time.
• In 2018, Rachel published her hugely popular book Girl, Wash Your Face. It became a #1 New York Times bestseller.
• Girl, Wash Your Face shares Rachel’s personal stories overcoming adversities and offers advice to women on changing their mindsets to improve their lives.
• The book catapulted Rachel to fame as a motivational speaker and life coach for women. Critics, however, accused her of promoting toxic positivity.

Rachel Hollis Company

• On the heels of her book’s success, Rachel launched the Rachel Hollis Company, a multi-media lifestyle brand.
• The company ran live events, conferences, and produced podcasts, videos, and books aimed at empowering women.
• Rachel’s follow up books included Girl, Stop Apologizing and Didn’t See That Coming. Her podcast Rise quickly became one of the most popular self-help podcasts.
• Rachel Hollis Company was valued at an estimated $20 million by 2020. However, the company took a major hit after Rachel’s divorce and controversies.
• In March 2021, Rachel announced she was stepping back from the company to work on personal growth. The company halted live events and laid off much of its staff.

Rachel Hollis Divorce from Dave Hollis

• In April 2020, after 16 years of marriage, Rachel and Dave Hollis announced they were getting divorced. They cited growing apart and wanting different things.
• Initially, Rachel and Dave said the split was amicable. However, things soon got messy between the motivational power couple.
• Both accused the other of infidelity. Dave claimed he wanted to stay together while Rachel initiated the divorce. Rachel stated she was the sole income earner in the final years of their marriage.
• They publicly argued over custody arrangements for their four kids on social media. Eventually, Rachel and Dave agreed to joint custody.
• Post divorce, Dave launched his own motivational content and continued to take digs at Rachel. She largely avoided mentioning him.
• Rachel admitted on her podcast that the divorce was humbling and made her rethink her outlook on life and relationships.

Rachel Hollis Controversies and Criticism

Along with her divorce, Rachel Hollis faced backlash over several controversies:

• Toxic positivity: Critics accused her books and messaging of promoting an unhealthy “you can do anything just believe in yourself” attitude while ignoring systemic barriers.
• Inauthenticity: Fans questioned how genuine Rachel was about overcoming adversity after learning she grew up middle class and married wealthy.
• Weight loss: Rachel received backlash in 2021 for announcing she was going on a diet after gaining weight during the pandemic. Many saw it as fat-shaming.
• Layoffs: Rachel was heavily criticized for laying off dozens of Ruth Hollis Company employees in 2021 shortly after promoting self-care and mental health.
• Plagiarism: Internet sleuths found several passages in Girl, Wash Your Face were copied word-for-word from other sources without attribution.
• LGBTQIA comments: In a 2019 live event, Rachel said she didn’t understand why trans people were so “angry.” She later apologized after huge backlash.
• Pandemic partying: In December 2020, Rachel faced anger after posting photos partying maskless with friends during the height of the pandemic.
• Privileged advice: Critics accused Rachel of being unable to relate to average women and doling out privileged advice, such as telling women to just start a business.

Where is Rachel Hollis Now?

Today, Rachel Hollis has stepped back from her company and kept a relatively low profile since her controversies and divorce:

• She continues to post on Instagram but focuses on her personal life rather than business motivation.
• Rachel has hinted she is working on new books but has not made any big announcements.
• She is dating a man named John but has not shared his last name or many details. Rachel has indicated she does not plan to marry again.
• Rachel still co-parents her four kids with Dave Hollis. Her kids range in age from 5 to 14 years old.
• In 2022, Rachel sold the 10,000 square foot Austin, Texas mansion she lived in with her ex-husband Dave. The home sold for $3.65 million.
• Currently, Rachel seems to be focusing on family life and is no longer actively telling women to “girl, wash your face” or “girl, stop apologizing.”

FAQs on Rachel Hollis

1. Where did Rachel Hollis grow up?

Rachel Hollis grew up in Riverside County, California. She was raised by her mother and stepfather after her parents divorced at a young age.

2. What religion is Rachel Hollis?

Rachel was raised Catholic but now identifies as Christian non-denominational. Religion has played a major role in her books and events.

3. How much is Rachel Hollis worth?

At her peak, Rachel Hollis’ net worth was estimated around $10 million. However, since her divorce and company struggles, her net worth is likely lower now.

4. Does Rachel Hollis have a degree?

Yes, Rachel earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from California State University in 2005.

5. How old is Rachel Hollis?

Rachel Hollis was born on January 9, 1983. She is currently 40 years old as of 2023.

Conclusion

Rachel Hollis rose to fame as a motivational powerhouse empowering women to improve their lives. However, controversies surrounding her divorce, hypocrisy, and promotion of unrealistic standards have significantly damaged her brand. Today, Rachel is quietly trying to pick up the pieces as she focuses on family and self-improvement. Only time will tell if Rachel Hollis can recover and reinvent herself after her very public downfalls.