Strange Things About Jessica Simpson's Marriage
Hearts broke when Jessica Simpson's divorce from her first true love, 98 Degrees frontman Nick Lachey, was finalized. "I'm happy I was married. I'm happy that he was in my life. I have no regrets. And I will look you in the eye and tell you that I have no regrets about that. Not one," Simpson told Elle magazine less than a year after their split.
As one of the most beautiful entertainers in the industry who also has a great, bubbly personality to boot, Simpson had no trouble snagging a new man. This time, the Texas native fell head over heels in love with the under-the-radar, Yale-educated, retired NFL player Eric Johnson. And when we say "head over heels in love," we're talking about going from 0 to 100 real quick. In the blink of an eye, Simpson was engaged and became a mom of two darling children, Maxwell Drew and Ace Knute.
On July 5, 2014, the "I Wanna Love You Forever" singer and Johnson wed in California, and while also welcoming baby no. 3, Birdie Mae, along the way in 2019, Simpson and her beau have been quietly living happily ever after since ... if you ignore the mind-boggling details that surround their relationship. Here are all the strange things about Jessica Simpson's marriage.
Is this what Jessica Simpson meant by 'A Public Affair'?
When Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson first met, the former athlete had plans to attend the prestigious Wharton Business School's MBA program at the University of Pennsylvania, but ultimately decided against it, with many reports claiming he put his education on hold to be by Simpson's side — something an insider later denied to People.
School wasn't the only thing Johnson may have put on the back burner for Simpson though. He also put the kibosh on his previous marriage to stylist Keri D'Angelo. According to E! News, he and D'Angelo separated in October 2009. However, by the time he met Simpson in May 2010, he and his then-wife were still legally married, although divorce proceedings were in full swing.
To make things even stranger, E! News reported Johnson was still "spending extra-friendly time with D'Angelo when he met Simpson that May." Yikes. The singer's rep denied that there was any overlap in the two relationships. And while we want to take their word for it, we're not so sure we believe them.
Did Jessica Simpson pay for Eric Johnson's proposal?
After meeting through friends in May 2010, Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson were inseparable. They jetted off to Capri, Italy for her 30th birthday in July 2010 and were spotted full-on making out all over the city.
After just six months of dating — and one month after his divorce from his ex-wife was finalized — Johnson popped the question. "Yes, we are excited to confirm that they are engaged," Simpson's rep informed E! News in November 2010. Their mad dash to the altar didn't just raise a few eyebrows though. It also left many speculating about Johnson's true intentions. To start, there were questions surrounding the purchase of Simpson's $100,000 ruby-and-diamond engagement ring. "Yes, he made a little bit of money in the NFL and is from a wealthy family, but unless his parents helped him out, Jessica must have paid for it herself," an insider told Popeater (via Lainey Gossip). Oh. Hell. No. Girl, WYD?!
And then, there were rumblings that Simpson's family was concerned about her then-fiancé's lack of employment. "They are a little worried because he has nothing going on, but he really loves her for her," the source told E! News. "They are happy and feel that she's in a good place."
Happiness doesn't pay the bills, Jess!
Jessica Simpson waited to wear her ring
In November 2017, Jessica Simpson shared a flashback from her engagement to Eric Johnson in a photo posted to her Instagram account. "Got engaged to 'Since I've Been Loving You' by Led Zeppelin on 11/11 at 11:11 AM 7 years ago. Still loving this man is the easiest part of my life," the music starlet wrote in the caption.
Although Simpson looked absolutely thrilled in the throwback photo as she posed with her new sparkler on her finger, she told CBS' The Early Show (via E! News) that she wasn't so quick to wear her new engagement ring after she accepted Johnson's proposal. "I actually had to sit on his knee I was so shocked," she admitted, adding, "I said, 'Yes,' and we both definitely were teary-eyed. I didn't even try the ring on until like, five minutes in. I just kind of sat there and cried with him."
Simpson's amazement could be attributed to the fine details of her treasured piece of jewelry. CBS News notes that the "Neil Lane three-stone ring ... features a central ruby stone flanked by two diamonds." And it's one that Simpson was obviously impressed with. "It was all Eric's idea and he just wanted it to be special," she said, according to E! News. "He did good."
We're glad she's in love with the token of Johnson's affection ... even if it took her a bit to sport it!
Eric Johnson is the one for Jessica Simpson ... for 'right now'
Eric Johnson was reportedly irresistible to Jessica Simpson, likely taking her breath away during the early stages of their whirlwind romance. However, Simpson held back when it came to vocalizing her true feelings for him. After her string of failed relationships, including courtships with crooner John Mayer and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, we can't blame Simpson for protecting her heart. "As far as Eric and I go, we're just best friends. He's my dude! I love him," she told People magazine in October 2010.
And when Simpson was asked if Johnson was the one, she again held back. "I never go to that because I already went there, so, I'm not gonna jinx my own self," she said. "He's the one for me right now! I'm very happy, I'm in a great place and if right now could last forever, I'd take it."
Did Simpson really say "right now?" Wow. Someone check Johnson's pulse and call 911. If we were him, we would die from sheer embarrassment! But, as strange as the singer's words were to us, he obviously didn't mind too much because he asked for her hand in marriage less than a month after that interview was published.
Family first
After getting engaged in November 2010 (a week after Jessica Simpson's ex-husband, Nick Lachey, got engaged to Vanessa Minnillo, might we add), Simpson wasn't in a huge rush to plan her own wedding. "We're just going to enjoy the engagement and we'll get married the moment we feel like it," she told People magazine.
Simpson's plans to have a "simple" ceremony had to wait because, before she knew it, she and Johnson were expanding their family not once, but twice! "We've had two different wedding dates, but he keeps knocking me up," Simpson said on a 2013 appearance on The Tonight Show (via E! News). In fact, the couple welcomed both of their children back to back, with Maxwell born in 2012 and Ace born in 2013, before finally tying the knot. "We're doing it very backwards, I know ... I'll just keep my legs crossed, I guess, this time," she said.
After a much-needed lull in baby-making, they finally became husband and wife in July 2014.
Let's talk about sex, baby
When it comes to Jessica Simpson's sex life with Eric Johnson, she never holds back. She's quite vocal about how attracted she is to her hubby and how spicy things are between them. Still, she really caught her Instagram followers off guard when she posted a photo of Johnson's toe shoes, along with the caption, "My husband's shoe game makes me want to bang." Really? It does?!
But that wasn't the only time Simpson discussed their bedroom activities. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, she said she had "baby fever" after giving birth to her two kids, but she wasn't entirely sold on having more children at the time (which obviously didn't last forever — *waves to Birdie Mae*). Instead, she told ET that she and Johnson "always practice."
If that doesn't make you cringe, Simpson also found a way to slide in a comment about intimacy while talking about her weight loss struggles with InStyle. "He's always loved every curve on my body. And we've always had a healthy sex life," she said.
Okay, we get it! Their boots were made for knockin', and they can't keep their hands off of each other. Enough with the T.M.I. from this celeb couple already!
Jessica Simpson's wedding was one to remember
Jessica Simpson loves to throw big bashes to celebrate important moments in her life, which is why it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that she went all out when she married Eric Johnson. The singer's four-day 2013 wedding included a Fourth of July barbecue, an awesome wedding reception, and a Sunday farewell brunch for their guests. And when Simpson said "I do," she was wearing a designer gown made by Carolina Herrera, whose dresses have also been worn by "iconic" brides like Emmy Rossum, Idina Menzel, Olivia Palermo, and Caroline Kennedy (as well as Kristen Stewart's character in Twilight) when they walked down the aisle. Thanks to all of the details surrounding Simpson's special day, the couple was left with a bill that totaled $1.4 million, according to E! News.
We're sure there were countless magical moments throughout the entire multi-day event, but Simpson's top moment is rather strange, if you ask us. "My favorite memory of the wedding is Eric sitting in his boxers after everybody had left the ceremony. And we had to get a tailor to sew his pants back up," she told Us Weekly. "It was just, like, sitting there with your man in his Calvin Kleins and a tuxedo jacket ... There was something sexy about it, because he split his pants because he was reaching for my kids. It doesn't get better."
Really? Out of all of the moments, she picks this one? Jeez.
Jessica Simpson partied hard
Birthdays are a time to celebrate, especially if your name is Jessica Simpson. Sadly, some tend to think the fashion guru, who isn't in the spotlight as much as she once was, goes a bit overboard with the revelries — like when she had a little too much fun in September 2017 while hitting the town on her hubby's birthday.
After visiting West Hollywood celebrity hotspot Craig's, Simpson was photographed being carried out of the restaurant after what appeared to be one too many drinks. In one photo, Simpson loses her footing and almost takes a tumble down the curb. Thankfully, her husband was around to keep her from face-planting right there on the sidewalk.
Another picture shows Simpson giving her best impression of Keanu Reeves' back-bending lean from The Matrix, proving she definitely should've been cast as the character Neo. Okay, just joking ... sort of. Finally, she's spotted making her way into a waiting car, but doesn't leave before sticking out her tongue in what you'll soon find out is a signature move (that now often involves her hubby, of course).
Johnson didn't seem to mind that his wife was a sloppy mess and having a ball on a day that should've been all about him. Still, maybe she should scale it back a bit next time if she wants to silence this next set of rumors...
Did Eric Johnson beg Jessica Simpson to go to rehab?
Rumors were buzzing when the press suspected Jessica Simpson was getting sloshed far too frequently. The gossip erupted after the singer appeared in a series of bizarre interviews, including the time she stopped by to see Ellen DeGeneres in 2017 and seemed a bit loopy (she later admitted on the Today show that she was indeed not sober, which is why she "can't even watch the interview" now), as well as a chat with Extra (via the Daily Mail), in which her mannerisms were a bit ... off.
It didn't take long for many to wonder what was really going on with Simpson, and an insider shed some light on the situation, telling The National Enquirer (via Radar Online) that Johnson had allegedly given his wife an ultimatum to either go to rehab or he would leave and take the kids with him. "He's worried sick that Jess' conduct is going to start affecting their two children and that their oldest is starting to realize there's 'something wrong with Mommy!'" the source told the publication.
Simpson was "drinking constantly," according to Today. She explained in 2020, "I always had a glitter cup and it was always filled to the rim with alcohol." She also started missing out on major moments, like taking her kids out to trick or treat on Halloween. Thankfully, this made her realize she needed to quit drinking, which she did while seeking help from a therapist.
Jessica Simpson's marriage requires a sex-friendly diet
As much as Jessica Simpson loves to talk about getting frisky with her boo, we weren't the least bit surprised when OK! Magazine claimed the couple had switched up their eating habits to improve their sex life. "Their trash can is always filled with empty oyster shells every morning," a source told the publication about the couple's reported fondness for the raw seafood. "Their sex life is white hot as always and she and Eric are now eating all things that are supposed to turn you on."
The source stated Simpson had gathered a list of aphrodisiacs online and the results of the lovemaking-inducing cuisine had increased her husband's stamina. "Now they joke that they don't mind the occasional argument because then they get to enjoy make-up sex," the insider continued.
Whatever they do behind closed doors is their business, but we feel sorry for the brave soul who has to dump their oyster-filled trash can every morning. Pee-yew!
Jessica Simpson says they're 'addicted to each other'
Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson are obviously into each other and being husband and wife has only amped-up the attraction between them to the point where she describes it as an addiction.
"Marriage has changed us in a lot of ways," Simpson said during an interview on the Today show in 2014. When asked how her relationship is different now than it was before saying "I do," she explained, "I just think we're a little bit more addicted to each other. I just think that there is, like, a level of love that has just reached the highest of high."
This extreme level of attachment is actually a state that's backed up by science. According to Psychology Today, "We often say 'love' when we really mean, and are acting out, an addiction — a sterile, ingrown dependency relationship, with another person serving as the object of our need for security." Psychology Today also notes that human behavior researcher Helen Fisher explained in her TED Talk (after her team did MRIs on people in love to take a look at what was happening in their brains) "that love has many of the components of addiction, including tolerance, withdrawal, and craving, as well as the singular focus addiction usually takes." That certainly takes the romance out of it.
She wants to be with Eric Johnson when they're reincarnated
Jessica Simpson is so "addicted" to her husband, that one lifetime with him just isn't enough for the enamored star. That's why she's hoping to enjoy multiple lifetimes with him.
In September 2019, Jessica Simpson took to Instagram to write, "Happy 40th Birthday to the man of my dreams. I pray in every lifetime I find you and we re-create the beauty of what we have again and again. My hero, champion, best friend, lover, and daddy to our babies ... I could never have hoped for more. I love you." While the latter part of the message is sweet and pretty normal, the second statement is a little more unexpected. Does the singer believe in reincarnation?
While it's nice that Simpson wants to live all of her potential lives with her hubby, this is a particular belief that's not necessarily backed up by science. "Objection to claims of reincarnation include the facts that the vast majority of people do not remember previous lives and there is no mechanism known to modern science that would enable a personality to survive death and travel to another body," according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Again, that's not exactly as romantic as Simpson's heartfelt hope.
They like to get Miley Cyrus-esque with their tongues
Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson obviously like to indulge in a lot of PDA, and while you can definitely see their, er, normal kind of (eye-popping, blush-inducing, hashtag FIFTYSHADESOFJOHNSON) makeout sessions via Instagram, these two also have a thing about their tongues and like to show 'em off. While it can either be considered simply gross or simply silly, it's just another strange thing about their relationship which seems to suit them just fine.
For instance, back in an image from April 2014, the duo appeared to be seconds away from french kissing in a moment that Simpson apparently thought her followers would want to see. And in the summer of that same year, Simpson posted a photo of the pair sticking their tongues so far out, it almost looked painful, although she apparently viewed it as "yummy." In March 2016, Simpson shared a shot of their "date night," which (be warned) featured the duo with their tongues touching as Johnson held his wife's head in his hands.
And if you thought that it was a quirk that only they take part in, think again, because it's a peculiar tendency that they've passed on to their daughter.