For several months, there has been speculation of problems with… Jessica SimpsonHer marriage to her husband Eric Johnson. They've both been spotted Without their wedding rings On multiple occasions — and in an unnatural move for Simpson — neither of them celebrated their 10-year wedding anniversary in August 2024 on social media. Simpson, 44, also failed to acknowledge Johnson's 45th birthday in September 2024, and was noticeably missing from a set of back-to-school family photos she posted on Instagram that same month. Finally, on January 13, the singer Suspicions confirmedShe issued a statement that she and Johnson “were living apart and facing a painful situation in our marriage.”
According to sources, the couple — who have children Maxwell, 12, Ace, 11, and Birdie, 5 — had been living separate lives for more than a year before making the announcement. One source says it was November 2024, when reports of Johnson flirting with other women began to emerge Us Weekly They realize that their problems are too big to overcome. “There were trust issues stemming from the breakdown of their marriage,” the source explains in the latest tip. we Cover story. “She's sad (about the breakup) but knows she had a tough decision to make.”
Picture perfect
Simpson and Johnson fell into a quick and arduous relationship with each other after meeting at a party in 2010. He had just separated from his first wife, while Simpson – who was separated from his first husband – had just separated from his first wife. Nick Lachey In 2005 – she recently finished it On again, off again romance With the musician John Mayer. “We connected on every level,” Simpson wrote of Johnson in her 2020 memoir. Open book. “We were ready for the real deal.”
They appear happily in love as they navigate life with their growing family. Simpson often sang in praise of her husband. in Open bookShe described him as “the most amazing father on the planet”, and while promoting her memoir she spoke passionately about him being a “sexual shaman”. When Simpson got sober in 2017, Johnson was by her side. (The former NFL player also stopped drinking at that time.) “Sobriety has made the marriage better,” the source says. “They both became more present when they got sober.”
In April 2022, Simpson told a media outlet that their marriage was “stronger than ever,” adding, “I feel like every moment with us, we're growing as long as we're communicating, and our love is only deepening.” A year later, they appeared to still be holding it together, as Simpson posted PDA-filled photos of her and Johnson on a couples' vacation in March 2023. In September of that year — the last time Johnson was seen on her Instagram page — Simpson wished him a happy birthday, “My heart is so fascinated by this man, I can hardly call him my heart,” she wrote.
Troubled waters
Things then seemed to take a turn when, according to Simpson's source, Johnson was spotted flirting with women at a bar. “Jessica is not[the type]of woman who will put up with anything,” says a third source. we. “She is independent, has her own mind, her own money and the support of her family.”
The focus on career may also have been a factor in their demise, with a fourth source explaining that they have different goals when it comes to their careers. The pop star became the billion-dollar entrepreneur's best-selling fashion brand. Johnson played his final season of football with the New Orleans Saints in 2007. “Jessica has been incredibly generous to Eric,” the first source notes. “She never had any resentment because she looked at them as family. Everything she gained was for her family, and they all contributed in different ways. He tried to find his place professionally, and she always supported that.
They tried to make it work. “They'd done counseling before, but it didn't get them anywhere, and Jessica wasn't interested in doing it again,” says a fifth source. “They are tired of the ups and downs. They want different things.”
By November 2024, Simpson was saying she was single and wanted a divorce. She's been spending a lot of time in Nashville recording her upcoming album. In a photo that Simpson posted from her music room in Nashville on November 11, 2024, she wrote that her return would be “personal,” and added: “It's an apology to myself for putting up with everything I didn't deserve.” Simpson's source says the singer has spent the past year moving back and forth between Nashville and Los Angeles, where she and Johnson have been “slowly untangling their lives and figuring out what's next.”
Looking forward
Simpson's source says there is a prenup but adds that the divorce “could get messy.” Meanwhile, “Jessica won't have to worry about what[Eric]does,” notes the third source. “She's doing her own thing, too.” Along with her return to music, the star is also writing another book and focusing on staying sober and healthy. The third source adds that Simpson has worked hard to get in shape and is exercising and eating right. “She loves her body! Jessica looks amazing and wants to maintain it.
It is too Leaning on family membersEspecially her sister Ashley40. “Jessica's family just wants her to feel safe, secure, and happy,” says an insider. “They support any decisions she makes to keep her and her children in a stable place.” The couple's sprawling Hidden Hills home — which they bought in 2013 — was listed on January 11 for $17.9 million. “She wants to sell the house because there are too many memories,” says the fourth source. “Jessica wants a fresh start. She wants to move forward.”
With reporting by Travis Cronin, Andrea Simpson and Amanda Williams
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