Jessica Simpson‘s fans are dissecting her statement about her split from husband Eric Johnson, trying to understand what led to the end of their ten-year marriage.
The singer, 44, announced on Monday that she and the former NFL player, 45, ‘have been living separately’ and are ‘navigating a painful situation’ in their marriage.
She added that the estranged pair are ‘focusing on what is best’ for their three children — Maxwell, 12, Ace, 11, and Birdie, five — and ‘appreciate privacy right now as we work through this as a family’ in a statement.
Fans were surprised that the Take My Breath Away singer released the statement independently, give most Hollywood couples prefer to issue joint statements.
Many closely scrutinized her statement, finding the phrase ‘painful situation’ particularly concerning, with one fan on Reddit labeling it ‘ominous.’
Another fan of Simpson — who once referred to the retired athlete as her ‘sexual shaman’ — wrote, ‘I don’t like the way that sounds! I hope she’s okay.’
Jessica’s full statement read: ‘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.’
‘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.’
In response to the star — who listed her Hidden Hills mansion for $17 million amid the shock split — on fan wrote: ‘That’s very interesting phrasing for the PR statement.’
‘Yeah the “navigating a painful situation” part is what I’m stuck on. Unusual to give us even any info like that,’ another wrote.
‘You can tell by the wording that there’s more to this breakup. It’s not the usual “unconscious uncoupling” or whatever,’ someone else chimed in.
‘The fact that it’s not a joint statement is also interesting. Like 90 percent of them usually are,’ another pointed out.
‘Usually it’s a lot more “still love and respect, friends. Care about. Focus on the kids.” Painful situation and separate lives navigating it is a lot to share imo.’
One fan theorized that the reason for the separate statements was due to the fact that Simpson is a celebrity and Johnson is a retired athlete.
‘I think if he issued a statement, or joined in on hers, it would seem odd. I honestly had no idea who this man was before he started dating, then married, Jessica Simpson. She makes it a point to say they are living apart and so I think single-person statement from her makes sense to me.’
However, others pointed to other recent celebrity splits where the couple’s opted for joint statements.
‘Just looking back at recent splits, Chance the Rapper and Leah Remini are both married to non famous people and did a joint statement when they split. Even if one partner isn’t famous it sends a message that everyone is on the same page and there is minimal drama, at least publicly. ‘
Many were confused by the statement and what it truly was meant to convey.
‘They are separately navigating a situation in their marriage. Separate sounds like an end, but they don’t flat out say they are ending it. Very confusing wording, but I wish them all well. Divorce is tough and Jessica has been through some rough times.’
Another fan pondered: ‘I wonder if he hit the 10 year prenup condition and decided to cash out.’
Many fans expressed feeling ‘sad’ but not surprised about the news.
‘For whatever it’s worth, they seemed like a good match to me. This makes me sad, though unsurprising with the uptick of photoshopped photos and wishy washy captions on her IG. He seemed really grounded for her and a good dad (plus he’s getting finer as the years go by but I digress). Hope for the best for all of them.’
Simpson has ‘already recorded a heartbreak album’ about the shock separation according to latest reports.
‘It will be about her broken heart, so, yeah, I guess you can call it a revenge, a heartbreak album,’ a source told DailyMail.com after the star announced on Monday she is living separately from Eric.
‘When Jessica writes music, she pours her heart into it and has no filter, it’s very personal. So the album will really be about the struggles she has been through at home. It is super emotional and shares her side of the story.
‘She has been working on the album for years, there is a lot in there.’
Simpson — who’s had a number of high-profile romances — and Johnson said ‘I do’ back in 2014, after four years of dating.
The star was last pictured wearing her wedding ring in 2023. Recently, Simpson was spotted sans wedding ring once again in December, adding fuel to the rumors that her decade-long marriage to Johnson was on the rocks.
The couple hasn’t been spotted together since Birdie’s kindergarten graduation back in June 7, and Jessica’s Instagram has been conspicuously Eric-free since their Easter celebration on April 9.
Less than a week prior to the split announcement, Simpson shared a radiant selfie to her Instagram, with the caption: ‘Life is short. SMILE while you still have teeth.’
Jessica raised eyebrows by failing to give Eric a birthday shout-out on his 45th birthday on September 10, further igniting rumors of a marital rift.
Adding fuel to the fire, the former NFL star has also been spotted without his wedding ring in recent outings.
Jessica fueled the chatter with a cryptic social media post on November 11 that appeared to throw shade at someone close to her.
‘Interviews in my Nashville music room where I unearthed my singular magic,’ began the singer in her caption.
‘This comeback is personal, it’s an apology to myself for putting up with everything I did not deserve.’
Her quote raised eyebrows as followers tried to guess who made her put up with ‘everything I did not deserve.’
Reports of tension in the couple’s marriage have been circulating, with Life & Style claiming that Eric has grown weary of Jessica’s ‘crazy mood swings.’
‘Jessica feels like their marriage has lost its romance. Everyone’s wondering how long they can go on like this,’ the publication reported, citing an insider.
The outlet further alleged, ‘Eric has been doing his own thing for longer than anyone seems to know. He’s been very vocal about how difficult it is to live with someone so obsessed with surgery and so detached from reality most of the time.’
Simpson has been spending time in Nashville working on new music, while Johnson has been holding down the home front.
In November, it was reported the pair were living apart and ‘trying’ to come to terms.
Simpson’s sister Ashlee seemed to deny any knowledge of a rift between the clothing designer and the athlete, but a source told US Weekly the pair are ‘trying to figure out a separation without disrupting their kids’ lives as much as possible.’
Another source told the outlet the Come On Over singer is ‘heartbroken,’ adding, ‘[It was] not an easy decision for her.’
Despite reports that those close to the hitmaker have contacted divorce lawyers on her behalf in the last two months, insiders have told DailyMail.com that she was keen to avoid a permanent split for the sake of their children.
An insider claimed the couple agreed that if they don’t make changes, their marriage will be over.
‘Jessica’s goals are to stay married and fix the relationship as it has become stale,’ a source said.
The singer, who celebrated being alcohol-free for seven years in November 2024, has relied on Johnson, who’s been a ‘rock’ during her journey.
‘He has been there for her in her sobriety journey and has been able to deal with all her ups and downs. He has been her rock.’
At the time, insiders said the couple were desperate to make things work for the sake of their children and were not looking to make any ‘rash decisions’ over the holiday period.
‘They are both aware that things need to change if they are to make it work.’
‘They are stuck in a lull period and are both trying to figure out what could spark things to bring it back and whether that is more counseling or something else.’
‘They don’t want to make any rash decisions over the holidays,’ the source asserted.
‘They have been going through a rough patch with each other,’ the source continued. ‘But she wants it to work out for her kids and she still loves him, and he loves her.’
In 2023 Simpson gushed about her husband in an interview with People.
‘A true love will never make you question yourself or what’s real. Thanks to my amazing soulmate I am able to love passionately and without fear of being hurt.’
She also reflected on feeling that she was ‘hard to love.’
‘I don’t find it hard to love anybody, but I have always thought that I was hard to love, that I was too much for people, or my schedule was too demanding,’ she told People. ‘He knows my heart and understands my heart more than anyone I’ve ever met in my life.’
For his birthday in September 2023, she shared photos from their family celebration and penned him a sweet caption.
‘My heart is so taken with this Man, I could hardly call it my own…. We love youuuu,’ she wrote.
The estranged pair first met through a mutual friend in 2010. They got engaged that November after six months of dating.
They welcomed their first two kids, Maxwell and Ace, in May 2012 and June 2013.
Their son and daughter served as ring bearer and flower girl at their wedding in 2014, which was attended by over 250 guests in Montecito, California.
Jessica later welcomed their daughter Birdie in 2019.
Simpson was previously married to 98 Degrees boyband singer Nick Lachey from 2002 to 2006.
Their relationship was documented in the reality show Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, which ran from 2003 to 2005, giving fans a peek into their lives.
Jessica was also famously swept off her feet by singer John Mayer in 2006, sparking a passionate but turbulent romance.
The pair’s connection was intense, and Mayer famously referred to Simpson as ‘sexual napalm’ in a now-infamous 2010 Playboy interview, where he also described her as ‘like crack cocaine to me.’
