Singer-turned-businesswoman Jessica Simpson’s dramatic 100-pound weight loss has reportedly played a significant role in the demise of her decade-long marriage to former NFL player Eric Johnson.
The drastic slimming down is said to have revealed “a whole new side of her personality,” causing a shift in their relationship dynamics.
While the couple also faces mounting financial pressures — reportedly taking out over $22 million in loans on their Hidden Hills mansion — the weight loss and its impact on Simpson’s outlook on life are allegedly at the heart of their split.
In an exclusive interview with Page Six, an alleged insider said, “She suddenly felt 21 again—except when she was 21 for real, she was a married TV star who had to behave,” referencing her first marriage to Nick Lachey and their reality show, “Newlyweds.”
According to the source, “She started to want to sow her wild oats in a way she never could.”
The 44-year-old, whose father Joe Simpson was reportedly a Christian preacher and even started as Christian music signer, married early, smack dab in the middle of her meteoric career. The career caused a great deal of trauma for her, despite opening the doors to transformative wealth and fame.
She has been very open about her long-standing struggles with body image and weight as it has been connected to being a teen star.
The insider elaborated, “In the past, she always had to kill herself in the gym and via starvation diets to get slim and stay that way.”
Simpson’s weight journey has been extensively documented. In her 2020 memoir, “Open Book,” she talked about how her struggles began at 17 when music executive Tommy Mottola told her to lose 15 pounds. She dropped from 118 pounds to 103 pounds using diet pills, a habit she maintained for two decades.
By 2021, Simpson had embraced healthier methods, firmly denying the use of Ozempic after rumors of it emerged.
The public reaction to her reported split from Johnson has been critical, with many pointing to her personaltransformation as the catalyst.
Page Six readers were outraged and suggested she was going through a midlife crisis.
One said, “Nothing sadder than a past their prime pop star still desperate for attention and fame.. especially if that’s in the form of cheating.”
Another said, “All of the 90s pop queens are going through their mid life crisis.”
Someone else said, “She might feel 21 but certainly does NOT look it!”
“I’m sorry but this display of narcissism is disgusting,” one person said, as another said, “Dear god how superficial can you get? Mid life crisis is very real!”
The Daily Mail readers were even more critical.
“She said in an interview that her hubby loved her no matter what size she has been ,that he has seen her small & big ..But now she lost weight she dumps him.Go figure,” one wrote.
Another quipped, “She probably already has a 20 something waiting in the wings.”
The couple, who married in 2014, share three children: Maxwell, 12, Ace, 11, and Birdie, 5. Both seem tired of the marriage, with a source claiming Johnson may have also emotionally “checked out” of the relationship.
“To be fair to Jess, Eric has accordingly checked out—he’s been so over it and her for a while now, and so infidelity on his part is not out of the question,” the purported insider shared before adding, “It’s not out of the question on her part either.”
Simpson confirmed the separation on Jan. 13.
“Eric and I have been living separately, navigating a painful situation in our marriage. Our children come first, and we are focusing on what is best for them,” she wrote in a statement, according to ABC News. “We are grateful for all of the love and support that has been coming our way and appreciate privacy right now as we work through this as a family.”
Amid the upheaval, Simpson has found solace in her music. After a 15-year hiatus, she is returning to the studio to work on “new music.” It seems that the “A Public Affair” singer is finally getting her groove back, in the studio and possibly in the bedroom.
While neither Simpson nor Johnson has directly addressed the role her transformation played in their split, it’s clear that the changes in her life have reshaped her personal and professional priorities.
