Jessica Simpson is finding peace, purpose — and her voice again — far away from the glare of Hollywood.
After a 15-year musical hiatus, the singer and actress opened up about how stepping away from the Los Angeles spotlight helped her rediscover herself.
Simpson said she needed a place where she could fully be herself, and she found that place in Nashville.
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“It’s hard for me to do that in LA, I think, because I’m ‘mom-ing’ it, running the brand. But when I get to go away and go within myself, I find that purpose — and have to share it … be vulnerable and just be honest,” she said during a recent appearance on “Today.”
After Simpson, 45, put her music on pause, she became a proud mom of three and focused on her fashion brand. The star shared that it was Nashville’s songwriting culture that reignited her creative spirit and motivated her to produce music again.
“I went out to Nashville because that was the place [where] the songwriters — they’re not competitive,” she explained on “Today.” “They allow you to be yourself. Nothing you say is judged.”
Simpson hasn’t performed on stage since 2006, when she navigated her first divorce and faced the mounting pressures in the music industry.
The “Irresistible” singer reflected on her early pop star years as she shared how her music has evolved.
“I took myself out of the competitive process,” Simpson said, reflecting on her illustrious music career. “Growing up as a pop star, it was always about the pop girls. I was always put up against other people. Everyone’s always going to sell more records than you. So, to me, it wasn’t a competition. I just really wanted what I was singing about to be authentically who I am.”
Now, nearly two decades later, she’s writing music again, but on her own terms.
Simpson pointed out that creating music again helped her work through emotional turmoil.
Earlier this year, Simpson and her ex, Eric Johnson, a former NFL player, made the decision to split after 10 years of marriage. The pair tied the knot in 2014. The “With You” singer opened up about how creating new music has helped heal her heart.
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“I needed clarity — emotional clarity in general. I thought I was going to be doing this inspirational type of record, and it started leaning towards more, ‘How do I get through this moment?’ Because my whole life just completely changed while making this record … nothing that I would’ve expected. But there [are] blessings in the pain. You can find beauty in the pain.”
For Simpson, it wasn’t just about her music. She also shared that, as a mother, she wanted to instill a message of resilience in her children.
“I want my daughters and my son to know that,” she said. “No matter what we go through in life, nothing can take us down. Nothing. As long as we are who we are, and we know our purpose … we’re guided by that.”
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Simpson shares three children with Johnson — daughters Maxwell and Birdie and son Ace.
In January, Simpson shared that the couple “have been living separately” but did not reveal any details on the timeline of their split.
“Eric and I have been living separately, navigating a painful situation in our marriage,” Simpson previously said in a statement to People.
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“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.”
Now, as a single woman, she’s not ruling out finding love and revealed she’s open to dating again.
“I’m slightly terrified,” she confessed to Today. “My type of person is one-of-a-kind. I don’t have … a look or anything like that. I just like for somebody to be individually who they are and exude confidence without the ego.
“I don’t need somebody to be supportive of me all the time,” she added. “I feel like the independence I have right now — if I can have that and give it to someone else, that would be cool.”
But there’s one non-negotiable.
“Has to be a very good kisser,” Simpson said with a smile.
As Simpson enters the next chapter in her life, she recently celebrated a major career milestone, the 20th anniversary of the Jessica Simpson Collection, her billion-dollar fashion brand.
“I just turned 45 on July 10,” she shared. “And my mom at my birthday dinner was like, ‘Well, honey, I was 45 when we started the brand.’ I said, ‘Mom! That makes me feel really old!’”
Despite Simpson’s mother pointing out her age, the fashion mogul admitted the lesson hit home.
“She’s right — you can start over again at 45,” Simpson said. “There’s no age limit to begin again.”
