My, how she’s grown! Jessica Simpson has come a long way since introducing herself to the world as a young singer with memorable pipes. The musician went on to conquer reality TV, the fashion industry, motherhood and the Hollywood dating scene after stepping into the spotlight.
Simpson made her mark with songs such as “I Wanna Love You Forever, “Irresistible,” “With You” and “Take My Breath Away” at the turn of the century. After marrying longtime boyfriend Nick Lachey in October 2002, the couple made the transition to reality TV with MTV’s Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica. The actress won over viewers with her string of laughable one-liners.
The fashion designer later tried her hand at acting, appearing in The Dukes of Hazzard, Employee of the Month, Blonde Ambition and other films.
Simpson found her niche when she launched her highly successful clothing collection. What began as a shoe line led to a bevy of lucrative retail offshoots.
Amid a professional high, the Texas native announced her separation from Lachey in November 2005. The pair finalized their divorce in June 2006. Simpson had high-profile relationships with John Mayer and Tony Romo following her divorce.
She got engaged to Eric Johnson in November 2010 after less than a year of dating. The couple welcomed daughter Maxwell in May 2012 and son Ace in June 2013 before tying the knot in July 2014. Simpson gave birth to their third child, daughter Birdie, in March 2019.
Adding a fifth member to their family proved to be a “totally different experience” for the parents, a source told Us Weekly exclusively days after Birdie’s arrival. While the insider proclaimed Johnson was a “super dad,” the kids were “very helpful and sweet with the baby. They’re both very curious and like to be involved.”
The TV personality opened up exclusively to Us in May 2018 about her experience as a mom. “Being a mother is the best opportunity and challenge I’ve ever been blessed with in life,” she gushed.
She added: “Right now my kids are in this amazing stage where I’m really listening to them without judgment and they’re teaching me so much. These little innocent kids teach me so much about life.”
Scroll to revisit Simpson’s journey through her career, motherhood, love and more!
The songstress’ debut single, “I Wanna Love You Forever,” dropped in September 1999. Her first studio album, Sweet Kisses, followed in November. Canova/Mediapunch/Shutterstock
Simpson began dating Lachey after meeting him in 1998. The pair announced their engagement in February 2002 and wed in October of that year. Shutterstock
Lachey and Simpson’s popularity soared after the premiere of their MTV reality show, Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, in August 2003. The series ran for three seasons and became ubiquitous due to laughs provided by its leading lady. Steinberg/BEI/Shutterstock
Simpson launched The Jessica Simpson Collection in 2005. Forbes reported in May 2014 that the company, which sells shoes, clothing, home decor, fragrances and more, earns approximately $1 billion per year. Fairchild Archive/Penske Media/Shutterstock
Introducing Daisy Duke! The actress starred as the cutoff-wearing country girl in the August 2005 film adaptation of The Dukes of Hazzard. She recorded her popular single “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” in conjunction with the movie. Snap Stills/Shutterstock
Simpson and Lachey announced their separation in November 2005 after three years of marriage. They finalized their divorce in June 2006. The 98 Degrees singer went on to wed Vanessa Minnillo in July 2011; the couple are parents of sons Camden and Phoenix and daughter Brooklyn. Jim Smeal/BEI/Shutterstock
Simpson began dating Mayer in August 2006. The duo were together for nearly a year on and off before their split in May 2007. The crooner famously compared his ex to “sexual napalm” in a March 2010 interview with Playboy. Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock
The singer dated Romo from November 2007 to July 2009. She later revealed that the Dallas Cowboys quarterback broke up with her on her birthday. Ron Sachs/Shutterstock
Simpson moved on with Johnson in May 2010. They got engaged the following November. Sipa/Shutterstock
The former reality star confirmed in October 2011 that she was expecting her first child with Johnson. Their daughter Maxwell Drew arrived in May 2012. Courtesy of Jessica Simpson/Instagram
Simpson revealed her second pregnancy in December 2012. The couple welcomed son Ace Knute in June 2013. Courtesy of Jessica Simpson/Instagram
Johnson and Simpson tied the knot in a gorgeous California ceremony in July 2014. Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
The musician announced in September 2018 that she was pregnant with her third child. She gave birth to daughter Birdie Mae in March 2019. Simpson revealed in September 2019 that she shed 100 pounds in the months after her delivery. Courtesy of Jessica Simpson/Instagram
Simpson revealed in her memoir, Open Book, that she was sexually abused at age 6 while sharing “a bed with the daughter of a family friend.” She described the experience as “extremely uncomfortable,” and recalled worrying that she was at fault. Simpson also admitted that she became dependent on alcohol and pills while coping with the trauma, writing, “I was killing myself.” She became sober in November 2017. In her book, she also looked back on her relationships with Lachey, Mayer and other exes.
To celebrate her 10th anniversary with Johnson in May 2020, Simpson wrote via Instagram, “I let him in and never let him leave. He is mine, I am his…forever.” Six weeks later, the couple celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary. “I married my perfect soulmate. Our unity was written in God’s sky of colliding stars,” the author gushed. Courtesy of Eric Johnson/Instagram
During a Today show appearance in April, the "Where You Are" songstress said she'd developed a better relationship with her body than she'd had in years after throwing out her scale. “She wants to set a great example for her children and be a role model to them,” a source told Us the following month. “With them getting older, they’re going to go through body changes soon, so she just wants to make sure she can properly educate them on what being healthy really means.” In July, Simpson and Johnson celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary. The Yale alum marked the occasion by sharing never-before-seen photos from the ceremony via Instagram. “Jessica, I love you,” he wrote. “7 years into marriage and you still make me laugh just as hard as day one. I had fun yesterday celebrating us. Our kids bring us so much joy and they could not be luckier to have such a fiercely empowered, unique, beautiful mama. I love you, babe!!! Happy Anniversary!” Courtesy of Jessica Simpson/Instagram
In January, Simpson reflected on how it felt to reclaim her name after buying her business back the previous year. "My name was on it,” she told Bloomberg at the time. “I don’t ever move away from my name.” The company had been sold in 2015 to Sequential Brand Group Inc., but Simpson and her mother were able to buy the brand back after Sequential declared bankruptcy in August 2021. After regaining control, the Employee of the Month star planned to invest as much time, energy and money into her business as possible. “I am draining my bank account,” she explained during an April appearance on The Real. “I have no working credit card. It’s OK. I will pay in cash. I went to Taco Bell the other day and my card got denied. I’m on a budget, ladies!” Despite the sacrifices, however, Simpson was happy to be back in charge. "I’m the person that you get mad at at the blackjack table," she added. "I’ll put it all out there if it’s me that’s driving the show, because I believe in myself and I know what I can do. And I know that nothing will stop me, and if you try to stop me, I’ll try harder.” Cindy Barrymore/Shutterstock
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