Whatever Happened To Jessica Simpson's Father

Jessica Simpson's father, Joe Simpson, catapulted his talented family into the limelight in the early 2000s, when he crafted an innovative formula that would set the ground for countless reality TV shows in the years to come. Before he put daughter Jessica and her then-hubby, Nick Lachey, in front of the camera, catching a glimpse into the lives of A-list celebs was certainly not commonplace. The former psychologist-turned-dadager then set his sights on younger daughter Ashlee's multi-faceted career, and, in doing so, solidified the Simpson clan's status in the Hollywood ... but more on all of this below.

Nothing good can last forever though, and come the 2010s, this celeb parent's life began to take a negative turn. Between a failed marriage, rampant rumors about his sexuality, run-ins with the law, and a major health scare, Joe Simpson hit a serious rough patch. However, he persevered and thankfully came out the other side even stronger. Want to learn more? Keep on scrolling to find out whatever happened to Jessica Simpson's father.

Flash forward to August 2012, when Jessica Simpson's father made headlines for all the wrong reasons. According to People, the Simpson family patriarch was reportedly driving down Ventura Boulevard in Los Angeles at the time, when he was stopped at a sobriety checkpoint. Sources cited by the magazine claimed that Joe Simpson willingly agreed to a breathalyzer test, as he'd only had "a couple of glasses of wine at dinner with his wife." 

However, TMZ learned shortly after that Simpson was allegedly driving with a .12 blood alcohol level — the limit in California is .08. After being booked and spending a night in jail, he was ordered by a judge to stay away from all alcohol while out on bail and awaiting his court date. As the gossip rag pointed out, this was a "pretty unusual order" given that Simpson didn't have any previous DUI arrests. 

People reports that Simpson was slapped with two misdemeanor counts of DUI in the end. He pleaded no contest to one, while the other was thrown out, and was ultimately sentenced to three years of probation, in addition to completing an alcohol-education course.

Just as Joe Simpson's 34-year marriage to Tina Simpson fell apart, rumors began swirling that Jessica and Ashlee Simpson's father was secretly gay. In October 2012, Radar Online went so far as to allege that he'd spent thousands of dollars while playing the role of "sugar daddy" to then-21-year-old model Bryce Chandler Hill. According to the mag, the catalyst leading to Tina filing for divorce was reportedly her discovery of the affair and alleged cash flow. However, TMZ reports that Simpson denied the allegations and apparently told his loved ones that the speculation surrounding his sexuality was "ridiculous."

Jump to February 2014 and these reports were back in full force when photos surfaced of Simpson frolicking on the beach in Miami, Fla. with a younger man. The dadager quickly took to Twitter to set the record straight, writing, "More mis-information in the news. The guy in the pics is my modeling Client. He was in Miami taking agency meetings. That's it!!" Indeed, TMZ later learned that the client in question was Scottish model Jonathan Keith, whom Simpson was managing. The pair were reportedly in Miami so Keith could attend castings.

In a move that was surprising (and totally uncool), Joe Simpson tried to use his eldest daughter's fame to up his own street cred. It was September 2015 when the dadager showed up at the swanky rooftop pool and bar at Manhattan's Gansevoort Park Avenue Hotel, according to Page Six. One onlooker told the media outlet that when Simpson and two pals were denied access by security, he simply wasn't having it, claiming, "He started begging, 'But I'm Jessica Simpson's father,' pulling out his iPhone and scrolling through his Instagram as proof."

Simpson, who was reportedly dressed in "full Justin Bieber attire, complete with one pant leg rolled up and multiple necklaces," was later allowed to enter. However, name-dropping is never really a good look, So, perhaps most surprising was the fact that he didn't deny the story. "The guy at the door wanted me to wait for the head guy ... I said I just want to go have a drink," Simpson told Page Six while sharing his side of things. "I told him Jess was my daughter. I showed him my passport."

In November 2016, Joe Simpson's rep revealed to People that Papa Joe had been diagnosed with prostate cancer two months earlier. However, the rep made sure to include a positive update, noting that Jessica Simpson's father had already undergone surgery and was recovering well. Thankfully, the media outlet confirmed that Simpson was cancer free in May 2017 following radiation treatment. "I went from Stage IV to cancer free!" the man himself told Us Weekly that July. "I feel good. I beat it. I have zero cancer!"

In September 2018, Simpson opened up about the life-changing ordeal with daughter Ashlee on her show, Ashlee + Evan. "I remember saying to the doctor, 'What if I don't have surgery?' He said, 'In six months you'll be dead,'" he said. Faced with his own mortality, Simpson admitted that he "really wrestled with just saying, 'I'll see you guys later.'" However, his family kept him inspired. "I couldn't do that to you and to your sister and to my little grandbabies," the proud dad told Ashlee, noting that he simply wasn't ready to leave them. However, his recovery was anything but easy, as he added, "Because I don't have testosterone, I just don't have energy, so you have to power through."