Jessica Simpson, 44, splits from husband of 10 years Eric Johnson as she issues ‘painful’ statement
Jessica Simpson and her husband Eric Johnson have announced their separation after 10 years of marriage.
The singer and actress, 44, confirmed to People magazine that she and the former NFL player, 45, are living apart as they navigate “a painful situation” in their marriage.
“Our children come first, and we are focussing on what is best for them”, Simpson said in a statement released early this morning.
The couple emphasised their need for privacy during this difficult period.
“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 statement added.
The split comes less than a week after Simpson shared a cryptic selfie on Instagram, writing “Life is short. SMILE while you still have teeth”.
The couple first met through a mutual friend in 2010, with Johnson proposing after just six months of dating.
They tied the knot in July 2014 at the San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California, before more than 250 guests.
The pair went on to welcome three children together: daughters Maxwell “Maxi” Drew, 12, and Birdie Mae, five, and son Ace Knute, 11.
Their eldest children played special roles in their parents’ wedding ceremony, with Maxwell serving as flower girl and Ace as ring bearer.
As recently as 2023, Simpson spoke warmly of their relationship, telling People magazine: “A true love will never make you question yourself or what’s real.”
She added: “Thanks to my amazing soulmate I am able to love passionately and without fear of being hurt.”
Signs of trouble in the couple’s marriage began emerging last year when Johnson was spotted without his wedding ring in November.
Around the same time, Simpson posted a cryptic message on Instagram alongside photos of herself in a recording studio.
“Interviews in my Nashville music room where I unearthed my singular magic”, she wrote. “This comeback is personal. It’s an apology to myself for putting up with everything I did not deserve.”
A source told People magazine that the couple “very much live separate lives”.
The pair hadn’t been seen together publicly since their youngest child’s kindergarten graduation ceremony in June.
Simpson’s Instagram feed has been notably absent of Johnson since their Easter celebration on April 9.
Simpson rose to fame in the late 1990s, with her debut album Sweet Kisses selling two million copies in the United States.
Her third studio album, In This Skin, proved even more successful, selling three million copies.
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Beyond music, Simpson has built a formidable fashion empire with The Jessica Simpson Collection, launched in 2005, which has earned over $1 billion in revenue.
She previously garnered significant media attention during her first marriage to singer Nick Lachey from 2002 to 2005, with the couple starring in the MTV reality series Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica.
Simpson has also ventured into acting, making her film debut as Daisy Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard in 2005.
In 2020, she released her memoir Open Book, which topped The New York Times Best Seller list.