Jessica Simpson is a singer, reality TV personality, actress, and businesswoman from the United States. She rose to prominence after the publication of her maiden studio album, “Sweet Kisses.” She was born to a Baptist preacher who gave her a purity ring when she was 12 years old, and she developed a ‘anti-sex appeal’ persona that set her apart from contemporary singers such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. Unsatisfied with her initial album’s four million international sales, Columbia Records significantly modified her image for her following album, ‘Irresistible,’ which included her performing sexual lyrics and wearing provocative apparel. Both fans and critics were underwhelmed by her new look. Her participation on the MTV reality show “Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica” and the release of her new album “In This Skin” cemented her status as a sex symbol following her marriage to Nick Lachey. Her future albums and films were commercial failures, despite the fact that the record became her most successful effort. Interestingly, her apparel line and accessory collection have helped her gain success as a businesswoman.
Childhood and Adolescence
Jessica Ann Johnson was born in Abilene, Texas, to Baptist minister Joseph “Joe” Simpson and his wife Tina Ann on July 10, 1980. Ashlee Simpson, her younger sister, is also a singer, songwriter, and actress.
Jessica enrolled in Richardson’s ‘J. J. Pearce High School,’ where she developed an interest in drama. She dropped out of school in her junior year to pursue music and eventually earned her GED.
Because of her father’s career, her family moved frequently when she was a child, eventually settling in Richardson, Texas. She discovered her love of music while singing in the church choir. When she was 11, she chose to pursue a career as a singer.
Career of Jessica Simpson
Jessica Simpson auditioned for ‘The Mickey Mouse Club’ worldwide talent competition when she was 12 years old, singing ‘Amazing Grace’ and dancing to ‘Ice Ice Baby.’ She was one of the six finalists, with Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Justin Timberlake, however due to nerves, she did not perform well in the final audition.
Fortunately, she got a second chance a few weeks later when singing in the church choir. After hearing her rendition of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You,” a guest speaker who was preparing to start a gospel label invited her for an audition and signed her.
She worked with ‘Proclaim Records’ for the following few years, recording her debut album ‘Jessica,’ which was never published since the record label went bankrupt. Her grandma helped pay the distribution of a few copies of the CD in 1994. As a demo, these copies were forwarded to various record labels.
In July 1997, Tommy Mottola, the head of ‘Columbia Records,’ signed her. In comparison to contemporary vocalists like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, her style was unique.
She debuted in the music industry on September 28, 1999, with her breakthrough single ‘I Wanna Love You Forever,’ which reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.
On November 23, 1999, she released her debut studio album, “Sweet Kisses.” Nick Lachey, her ex-boyfriend, was featured in the single “I Think I’m in Love with You.” ‘Sweet Kisses,’ the title track, reached number 25 on the ‘Billboard 200.’
She modified her image for her second album, ‘Irresistible,’ which was released in May 2001, on the advice of her record label. The album opened at No. 6 on the ‘Billboard 200,’ however it was commercially unsuccessful, and its lead track was attacked for its sexual undertones.
Following her marriage to Lachey in 2002, she recorded the song “Sweetest Sin.” When the single didn’t chart, her father, who also happened to be her manager, proposed a reality show starring the couple. Following that, on August 19, 2003, MTV released ‘Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica.’
Her third studio album, ‘In This Skin,’ debuted at No. 10 on the ‘Billboard 200,’ thanks to the reality show. In March 2004, she re-released the album with a couple of cover tracks, including ‘Take My Breath Away’ and ‘Angels,’ which helped boost sales. ‘ReJoyce: The Christmas Album’ was released in 2004. During the 2004-05 season of her sister’s reality TV show, ‘The Ashlee Simpson Show,’ she appeared alongside her husband.
Her clothes line, ‘The Jessica Simpson Collection,’ debuted in 2005 and quickly became one of the most successful celebrity fashion labels.
She made her big screen debut in the 2005 picture ‘The Dukes of Hazzard,’ in which she also sang the song ‘These Boots Are Made For Walkin.’ The song reached No. 14 on the ‘Billboard Hot 100,’ however her provocative attire in the music video was criticized.
In 2006, she signed a new record deal with Epic Records and released her fifth studio album, ‘A Public Affair,’ which was her last somewhat successful album. She went on to release two more studio albums, all of which were flops: ‘Do You Know’ (2008) and ‘Happy Christmas’ (2010).
During this time, she also appeared in a couple films. ‘Employee of the Month’ (2006), ‘Blonde Ambition’ (2007), and ‘Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous’ are among these films (2008). None of these films were a box office success. ‘The Price of Beauty,’ a 2010 VH1 documentary series in which she traveled throughout the world in search of varied perceptions of beauty, was a success.
She appeared in the reality television series ‘Ashlee + Evan’ in 2018.
Major Projects of Jessica Simpson
‘In This Skin,’ Jessica Simpson’s third studio album, has been her most successful effort to date. It was certified triple platinum in the United States and has sold more than seven million copies worldwide.
Achievements & Awards
In 2000, 2001, and 2003, three of Jessica Simpson’s tracks were named to the ‘Hot 100 Year End Awards’ list at the Billboard Music Awards. She’s also received two “People’s Choice Awards,” seven “Teen Choice Awards,” and a “BMI Award.” She was rated one of the ‘100 Sexiest Women in the World’ by FHM magazine. She was also included in the ‘Hot 100’ list of ‘Maxim’ magazine. She was named to ‘People’ magazine’s ’50 Most Beautiful People’ list from 2004 through 2008.
Personal History and Legacy
After meeting him at a Christmas party in 1998, Jessica Simpson began dating ’98 Degrees’ singer Nick Lachey. They divorced in June of the next year after their highly publicized wedding in October 2002 and subsequent appearance on a reality television show. They separated in November 2005 and formalized their divorce in June of the following year.
In November 2007, she began dating Tony Romo, the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. However, supporters of the ‘Dallas Cowboys,’ including then-President George W. Bush, held her responsible for his bad performance, leading to their breakup in July 2009.
She began a fresh relationship with retired NFL tight end Eric Johnson in May 2010, and the two became engaged in November. On May 1, 2012, their first child, a daughter called Maxwell Drew Johnson, was born. On June 30, 2013, Jessica gave birth to her son Ace Knute Johnson.
Simpson and Johnson married in Montecito, California, in July 2014.
Simpson confirmed that she is expecting her third child in 2018. Birdie Mae Johnson, her second daughter, was born in March 2019.
Estimated Net Worth
Jessica Simpson has a net worth of $200 million.
Trivia
While Jessica Simpson received backlash for portraying herself as a “ditzy blonde” on her reality program, her mother later disclosed that she had an IQ of over 160 in fifth grade.