Jessica Simpson’s New Fragrance Represents Her Becoming an “Independent Woman”
The 20-plus years Simpson has spent in the public eye have not been without tribulations: In the early 2000s—at the height of tabloid culture—her talent and appearance were constantly compared to her competitors in the industry. As ‘Newlyweds’ became a household reality program, there was endless scrutiny around her intelligence (and later, her divorce from Nick Lachey). Her body became tabloid fodder; she has said she developed body dysmorphia as a result. Her label dropped her after she had a number-one country music album in 2008 and she ultimately took a decade-long hiatus from music because of it. In her memoir, Open Book, she revealed she became dependent on alcohol during this time. Then, in 2021, the parent company of the massively successful Jessica Simpson Collection filed for bankruptcy, threatening a brand that had been valued at $1 billion. As of this year, she has separated from husband Eric Johnson.
Recently, a 45-yo “young again” Jessica Simpson spoke with Allure to celebrate the launch of her new fragrance, Mystic Canyon, and addressed those mom jeans, her first kiss, journaling, plastic surgery within + beyond her All’s Fair character, plus her long-awaited return to music as an independent artist.
On the tabloid fascination:
I really didn’t entertain for 15 years, so I didn’t understand why I would still be in the tabloids. I didn’t understand the fascination. A lot of it has to do with my looks, like it has to do with either being scrutinized or “How did she rise above this?”
I think we can get lost in people’s opinions. We lose our own way, we lose ourselves. We let other people define us. And journaling for me has been a huge part of my inner confidence. It’s been a big part of just knowing myself, knowing where I’m at without all the noise. We are the only people that have our own answers. I feel beautiful when I’m focused on staying true to my purpose. Because no matter what, nobody’s opinions are going to knock me out of that.
On feeling ‘young again’:
I actually feel younger in my 40s than I did in my 30s—maybe it’s because I was having kids in my 30s, and there was a lot going on. It was a lot of “home life.” Now I’m in my 40s and releasing music, I’m back to being an entertainer, so I feel young again. It’s like being born all over again and chasing my dreams.
On bottling romance:
I romanticize everything, so the romance is there (in Mystic Canyon). I love things that remind me of something that I’ve gone through, persevered through, or a moment like my first kiss—I know that I was wearing Givenchy Amarige [for that]. Mystic Canyon represents how I felt in becoming an artist again, becoming an independent woman. It has a strength to it.
On 2000s style:
I’ve never left the big hoops. I love a low-rise jean, because I have a long body and short legs, and my butt crack’s about the size of a pinky. I have the smallest butt crack. It just makes sense for me to wear low-rise.
Well, let’s not forget me with “Mom jeans” that everybody wears now. I was scarred. I was like, ‘I don’t like any of you for making me put these on.’
On playing a woman with botched plastic surgery on ‘All’s Fair’:
I really liked the character. I just feel bad for anybody that would do that for a man. I understand plastic surgery. It’s for you, and if you feel you actually need it and would be happy with [the results], and it would make your day better, make your life better… but as far as make your relationship better, no. I would love women to know it doesn’t work. It will never work, because men are men. There’s always somebody that [is going to find] something in someone [else] that you don’t have. And if you just keep chasing that, it’s endless.
On releasing new music with Nashville Canyon:
There’s a lot of stories I haven’t told yet, believe it or not. We all know I’m an open book—too open at times. I like all the discoveries that I’ve been making in the last few years while making music. There’s still so much more that is a part of (album series) ‘Nashville Canyon’ that I haven’t released yet, different emotions. Luckily, I have a documentary that we’re about to start shooting.
Written by Kirbie Johnson