A Timeline of Jessica Simpson's Life in the Tabloids
A cover girl in the most infamous way, Jessica Simpson consumed early 2000s media with scandalous stories of infidelity, substance abuse, and weight struggles. Here, L'OFFICIEL breaks down the singer's neverending tabloid tales.
An early 2000s icon, Jessica Simpson is no stranger to the spotlight. The singer, actress, and entrepreneur first rose to fame with her hit debut single, "I Wanna Love You Forever." The Texas Native would then go on to release seven studio albums, star in a slew of Hollywood blockbusters, and even launch the fashion brand—The Jessica Simpson Collection. Yet despite her indisputable success, for years Simpson became the singular fixation of American mass media. Tabloids quickly painted Simpson as the era's token "dumb blonde"—scrutinizing her every move, from her marriage to Nick Lachey to her back-and-forth romance with John Mayer. Now, nearly two decades later, L'OFFICIEL looks back on this tabloid queen's most notorious media moments.
The Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica
In late 2002, draped in an elegant Vera Wang gown, Simpson tied the knot with 98 Degrees lead singer Nick Lachey in a traditional country ceremony. However, it wasn't the wedding's nationally televised coverage, the couple's heartfelt love ballads, or even the A-list guest list that made headlines. American pop culture lovers couldn't get enough of the newlywed's chaotic yet endearing dynamic. Enter: MTV's The Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica. Simply put, the reality show catapulted both Simpson and Lachey into a new level of fame. With Simpson's infamous question "Is this chicken, what I have, or is this fish? I know it's tuna, but it says 'Chicken by the Sea,'" the singer earned herself national scrutiny and the less-than-flattering tabloid title "dumb blonde."
An Affair With Johnny Knoxville
Courtesy of MTV, viewers continued to obsess over Simpon's marriage for three iconic seasons. Yet— in the midst of this frenzy— the tabloids began painting a different picture. Rumors circled that Simpson wasn't the blissfully happy wife she appeared to be, but rather that the singer was having a secret affair with Johnny Knoxville, her costar in the 2005 film The Dukes of Hazzard. While Simpson later admitted to an "emotional affair" in her 2020 memoir—Open Book — she explains there was nothing more than an authentic connection and a few "love letters."
A New Relationship: John and Jessica
In 2006, Simpson began dating musician John Mayer, but the relationship was far from perfect. The two dated on and off for multiple years (with other partners sprinkled in between) before officially callling it quits in 2010. The last straw? Mayer referred to Simpson as his "sexual napalm" in a Playboy interview.
She went on to say, "He thought that was what I wanted to be called. I was floored and embarrassed that my grandmother was actually gonna read that." And in 2020, she addressed Mayor's infamous interview and said that talking about her in a sexual manner was "disrespectful."
The Endless Body Shaming
In a far less accepting time in American pop culture, Simpson's body became the subject of constant scrutiny. Shortly after a 2009 performance, the singer flooded headlines branding her "Jumbo Jessica" suggesting she'd "let herself go." Now, after years of beating herself up for an unrealistic body standard, Simpson explains she's "still a work in progress...but now [has] the tools to quiet those voices in [her] head when they speak up."
Substance Abusive Headlines
One of the few tabloid-fueled rumors proving to be true, Simpson took to Instagram to detail her struggle with drugs and alcoholism. In her memoir, the singer explains childhood trauma coupled with career pressures led her to become substance-dependent. She recalls a moment of clarity, telling her closest friend "I need to stop. Something's got to stop. And if it’s the alcohol that’s doing this, and making things worse, then I quit.” Since this intervention, Simpson has been proudly sober since late 2017.
