Jessica Simpson has opened up about her split from her husband, Eric Johnson, after confirming that they have been living separately. During a surprise performance in Texas, Jessica spoke up about working on new music while navigating challenges in her marriage. “I was out in Nashville and I had my heart wide open, I was in a very intuitive state and I had to ask some very personal questions on the home front,” Jessica, 44, explained.
Her separation has had a significant impact on her.
@spilltheatx Jessica Simpson talks about heartbreak and being pissed off. #jessicasimpson #luckreunion #sxsw ♬ original sound – Spill the ATX
When introducing her new song “Leave” during her set, Jessica said, “I found out that my world had been turned upside down and that life was very different.”
Of course, fans could probably guess what Jessica was referring to, but what she said next made it obvious: “I am now a very single lady.” In response, the crowd cheered.
“When we open our hearts, sometimes we’re vulnerable and it just gets broken,” she continued. “Maybe sometimes we forget that we’ve been broken for a really long time, but when we meet ourselves, when we write, when we sing [and] when we connect with ourselves, we find all the answers.”
She described her song “Leave” as “kind of a heartbreak, p—ed off song.”
When the song first dropped, fans suspected it was about Eric.
With lyrics like, “What we had was magic/Now you made it tragic/Giving her what you gave to me,” fans suspected that Jessica’s heartbreak provided inspiration for her new music. The lyrics also made many fans wonder if Jessica and Eric ultimately separated due to infidelity. In “Leave,” Jessica sings, “Unholy matrimony/Did you do to her what you did to me? Was she on her knees?”
“Wow these words!” a fan wrote in response to the song. “Wonder if this is about Eric.”
Jessica previously confirmed that she and her husband are separated.
In January, Jessica confirmed that she and Eric are living separately after 10 years of marriage. She told People magazine that the separation was due to “a painful situation in our marriage.”
Jessica and Eric share three children. “Our children come first, and we are focusing on what is best for them,” Jessica expressed in the statement shared with People. “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.”
Prior to her recent releases, Jessica hadn’t released new music in years.
Jessica’s new album, which will be released in March 2025, will be her first album in more than 15 years, and this means that she’s also performing for the first time in as long.
“Last night was my first performance in 15 years,” she shared in a post on Instagram after her Texas show. “It was an emotional coming back home to the best part of myself. Thank you for embracing me. You know that I have so much to say, but this lucky voice gets to soar again tonight. I love y’all. More to come…”
Many fans have been super supportive of Jessica’s return to music. “Love the new music Jessica,” one fan commented. “I’m so happy you are back making music again.”
