Jessica Simpson Through the Years: Photos

Jessica Simpson has come a long way since introducing herself to the world as a young singer with memorable pipes. 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. She tried her hand at acting, appearing in The Dukes of Hazzard, Employee of the Month, Blonde Ambition and other films, before finding her niche by launching her highly successful clothing collection. Simpson separated from Lachey in 2005 and went on to date John Mayer and Tony Romo before getting engaged to Eric Johnson in 2010. They welcomed kids Maxwell and Ace in 2012 and 2013, respectively, before tying the knot in 2014. Their youngest child, daughter Birdie, was born in 2019. After sparking split speculation in late 2024, the spouses officially announced their separation after 10 years of marriage in January 2025. Scroll to revisit Simpson’s journey through her career, motherhood, love and more:

Jessica Simpson has come a long way since introducing herself to the world as a young singer with memorable pipes. 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. She tried her hand at acting, appearing in The Dukes of Hazzard, Employee of the Month, Blonde Ambition and other films, before finding her niche by launching her highly successful clothing collection. Simpson separated from Lachey in 2005 and went on to date John Mayer and Tony Romo before getting engaged to Eric Johnson in 2010. They welcomed kids Maxwell and Ace in 2012 and 2013, respectively, before tying the knot in 2014. Their youngest child, daughter Birdie, was born in 2019. After sparking split speculation in late 2024, the spouses officially announced their separation after 10 years of marriage in January 2025. 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.

Simpson began dating Lachey after meeting him in 1998. The pair announced their engagement in February 2002 and wed in October of that year.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Simpson moved on with Johnson in May 2010. They got engaged the following November.

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.

Simpson revealed her second pregnancy in December 2012. The couple welcomed son Ace Knute in June 2013.

Johnson and Simpson tied the knot in a gorgeous California ceremony in July 2014.

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.

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.

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!”

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.”

In honor of her 43rd birthday, Simpson posted a selfie sans makeup, admitting she “curled” her lashes for the look. The makeup-free snap came one week after she addressed the rumors that she was using Ozempic to help maintain her figure.

“Oh Lord … it is not [Ozempic],” she told Bustle in a July 2023 interview. “It’s willpower. Do people want me to be drinking again? Because that’s when I was heavier. Or they want me to be having another baby? My body can’t do it.”

Simpson hinted that her marriage was on the rocks while teasing her new music. “This comeback is personal, it’s an apology to myself for putting up with everything I did not deserve 🎶 🎼 🤍🖤,” she wrote via Instagram in November 2024.

Later that month, a source exclusively told Us that the pair — who were both spotted without their wedding rings — were “living separately” while “trying to figure out a separation without disrupting their kids’ lives as much as possible.”

A second source told Us that Simpson was “heartbroken” and that the breakup was “not an easy decision for her.”

Simpson and Johnson officially announced their split in January 2025. “Eric and I have been living separately navigating a painful situation in our marriage,” she told Us in a statement at the time. “Our children come first, and we are focusing on what is best for them. 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.”

The two remained cordial amid the split, as Simpson told People the following month that Johnson was “still very much a part of my life and will always be.” She also shared in an interview with The Cut that her ex was supportive of her new music, stating, “It is a gift. Eric supported that gift. My kids supported that gift.”

Simpson dropped her first song in 15 years, “Use My Heart Against Me,” in February 2025 and released her Nashville Canyon, Pt. 1 EP the following month. After making her return to the stage shortly before her record’s release, Simpson made her first TV appearance in 15 years on the season 23 finale of American Idol. She performed two tracks, including her new song “Blame Me” and her cover of Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” with contestant Josh King.