Jessica Simpson: Magazine Controversies

Jessica Ann Simpson was born in 1980 in Abilene, Texas to a homemaker mother and minister father. Like so many successful American singers, Simpson grew up singing in church. While in high school she cut a gospel music album and toured on the Christian music circuit. During this time Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola heard one of Simpson’s releases and signed the young singer.

In 2000 Simpson released the single “I Wanna Love You Forever,” which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard magazine Hot 100 charts. Her debut album, “Sweet Kisses,” went double-platinum, selling two million copies. Simpson followed up the success with another popular album, “Irresistible.”


Still, Simpson didn’t really achieve great success until 2003 when the MTV reality show, “Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica” aired. The year before Simpson married 98 Degrees singer Nick Lachey, whom she met on tour in the late 1990s. The show was a runaway hit and made Simpson a household name. Simpson released an album “In This Skin,” which coincided with the debut of “Newlyweds.” The album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard magazine 200 chart and went triple-platinum.

During this time of enormous popularity Simpson appeared on many magazine covers including Elle, Glamour, Us Weekly, Cosmopolitan, OK! magazine, People magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Rolling Stone and Esquire among many more.

Sadly, 10 months after “Newlyweds” went off the air Simpson filed for divorce from Lachey, citing irreconcilable differences. The divorce was finalized summer of 2006. A few months later Simpson told Elle magazine she was hurt and disappointed Lachey jumped back in the dating game only a few weeks after the divorce was final.

As for Simpson, she was linked in an on-and-off relationship with musician John Mayer in celeb mags like People, Us Weekly and Life & Style. In 2007 Simpson began dating Tony Romo, quarterback for the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. Though the relationship has gotten some negative attention from Cowboys fans, Simpson and Romo are reportedly going strong and are often photographed in celebrity magazines.

In 2006 Simpson returned to the studios for her fourth album, which debuted at No. 5 on Billboard magazine’s 200 albums chart and a Top 20 single. But the success didn’t last long and the album fell off the charts quickly. Then in 2007 Simpson’s father told People magazine the singer was considering a move to country music, citing her Texas roots as an inspiration. So far Simpson has achieved moderate success in her cross-over to country music and as of 2009 is touring on the country music circuits and has garnered a few country music hits.

Though Simpson has found modest success with her new country music career more attention has gone to her supposed weight gain. Practically every women’s magazine and every celebrity magazine including People magazine, Us Weekly, Life & Style, OK! magazine and more have run cover stories on the singer’s supposed dramatic weight gain. Amidst the weight controversy, Simpson is on tour and is enjoying success with her women’s clothing line.