“The drinking wasn’t the issue. I was.” Jessica Simpson has been sober for six years.
Dance-pop singer Jessica Simpson, 43, looks like a completely different person after celebrating a huge milestone on her sobriety journey.
“I Didn’t Love Myself.” Jessica Simpson’s Drinking Problem Had Taken Over Her Life
On November 2nd, the “Irresistible” singer publicized her celebration of being sober for 6 years.
“6 years ago,” Simpson captioned the post on her Instagram story. A 2017 picture of herself was included in the post that was originally shared on November 1, 2021. At that time, Simpson celebrated four years of sobriety.
Now two years later, the mother-of-three continues to amaze fans as she shows off her new outlook on life.
In the post, Simpson says:
“This person in the early morning of Nov 1, 2017 is an unrecognizable version of myself. I had so much self-discovery to unlock and explore.
“I knew in this very moment I would allow myself to take back my light, show victory over my internal battle of self-respect, and brave this world with piercing clarity.
“Personally, to do this I needed to stop drinking alcohol because it kept my mind and heart circling in the same direction and quite honestly I was exhausted.”
In the 2017 photograph, the fashion designer was seated on a couch in a disheveled room. Simpson wore a two-piece pink sweatsuit and had no makeup on. Her face appeared to be swollen.
“I wanted to feel the pain so I could carry it like a badge of honor. I wanted to live as a leader does and break cycles to advance forward- never looking back with regret and remorse over any choice I have made and would make for the rest of my time here within this beautiful world,” the post continues.
She also mentioned the unspoken stigma around the word “alcoholism” and the word “alcoholic.”
“The drinking wasn’t the issue. I was. I didn’t love myself. I didn’t respect my own power,” Simpson admitted.
The Singer Dropped 100 Pounds Following The Birth Of Her Youngest Daughter
Simpson has undergone a remarkable transformation in her life. After giving birth to her daughter, Birdie Mae, in 2019, she successfully shed 100 pounds. Regrettably, she, the daughter of a preacher, continues to face scrutiny regarding her weight.
“My kids see me being still scrutinized, and it’s very confusing to them because they’re like, ‘I don’t even understand this. Why don’t they just say you look pretty, mom?” the “I Belong to Me” singer told Access Hollywood.
“I wish I could say for me that it’s gotten better, but it still remains the same.”
In 2023, Simpson and her family left Hollywood and spent a summer in Nashville, Tennessee.
She is currently married to former NFL player, Eric Johnson. They share three kids together: Maxwell Drew, 11, Ace Knute, 10, and Birdie Mae, 4.
“Being in Nashville, even my kids are like, ‘You laugh the whole time. You’re so happy,'” Simpson told E News.
“It’s because I’m not on guard. I’m with a lot of like-minded people. It’s not about the celebrities — it’s really about the music and the heart and the conversation.”
Jessica Simpson Has Released New Music, A Book, and Is Working Hard To Re-Build Her Brand
Simpson has also been working hard to re-launch her billion-dollar fashion brand, the Jessica Simpson Collection.
The 2005 started having complications after Sequential Brands obtained a majority stake within Simpson’s brand for an undisclosed amount back in 2015.
The company ultimately declared bankruptcy, and in 2021, a judge granted approval for Simpson’s substantial $65 million bid, securing a majority stake in the company.
In October 2021, Simpson told Footwear News: “It means the absolute world to me to be able to take over complete ownership of my brand.”
The singer has been incredibly candid about her battles with alcohol.
During an interview to promote her memoir, Open Book, which was released in 2020, Simpson confided in Hoda Kotb of the Today show about the severity of her long-standing struggles with alcohol and stimulants.
She emphasized that her actions were never intended to harm anyone.
In a particularly poignant moment, she remembered an time when she woke up at 7 a.m. on Halloween, needing a drink to steady herself, as she shared with the Today show host:
“I had started a spiral and I couldn’t catch up with myself … and that was with alcohol,” Simpson shared.
“Every day I would say it, ‘I’ll stop soon. I’ll cut back.’”
Simpson continued: “I completely didn’t recognize myself,” she said.
“I always had a glitter cup. It was always filled to the rim with alcohol. I just realized that I had to surrender. It was time. I had to give it up and I was ready.”
Congratulations to Jessica Simpson. We can all agree that she is looking so much better these days!