Is Jessica Simpson’s father, Joe Simpson, secretly gay? (update: divorce!)

Back in August, it really seemed like Jessica Simpson father/manager Papa Joe Simpson was headed off the rails. He got a DUI in LA, and shortly after that, he and Tina Simpson announced their split. Jessica has always been very tight with both of her parents – as I said, her dad is her manager, and her mom is a central part of Jessica’s fashion lines. So what caused Papa Joe’s breakdown? Some kind of mid-life (late-life?) crisis? A crisis of faith for the former preacher, maybe? Or is it something quite different? Is it dong, and the love of dong?

According to a bombshell new report, Jessica Simpson’s world was turned upside-down when her manager-dad Joe Simpson re­cently dropped a bomb on his unsuspecting family: An insider says he confessed he’s gay!

And not only has a family source told The National Enquirer that 54-year-old Joe came out of the closet, the source says the former youth pastor and Baptist minister has a 20-some­thing boy toy!

The stunning confession was the real reason wife Tina filed for divorce from Joe, her husband of 34 years, in late September, the Enquirer reports.

“Joe got the family together about two months ago and came out of the closet,” an insider divulged. “He told them that he’d tried to continue in his marriage to Tina, but he couldn’t go on any longer and deny the fact that he had these feelings for men.

“Joe said it wasn’t fair to her, and it wasn’t fair to him.”

Tina, 52, filed for divorce in McLennan County, Texas, on Sept. 24. In the paperwork, she cites “discord or conflict of personalities” as grounds for the marital dissolution.

Meanwhile, Joe has been spiraling out of control for some time. He was busted for drunk driving in Sher­man Oaks, Calif., on August 4.

“The police report stated that there was someone else in the car with Joe,” said a source close to the Simpson family. “Some reports have stated it was Tina, but now the belief is that it may well have been a boyfriend.”

For more exclusive details on the Simpson family saga, including how this could affect Jessica’s billion dollar empire, pick up the latest issue of The National Enquirer on newsstands Thursday.

[From Radar]

If Joe Simpson has been secretly gay this whole time, I honestly think it makes everything all better. Truly. Papa Joe’s obsession with Jessica’s breasts no longer seems AS creepy and inappropriate, and Papa Joe’s ability to wade through the Hollywood cesspool as Jessica’s manager makes a bit more sense too. Now, do I completely believe this story? Not really. I’m just saying – it could be a possibility. Why not, you know? A lot of men of that generation have come out later in life.

UPDATE: Oooooh. So the same day the Enquirer/Radar is all “He’s totes gay,” that’s the same day he announces his divorce? Shocking. Papa Joe and Tina are officially divorcing now, and they released a statement: “Tina and Joe Simpson have filed for divorce. It is an amicable split and there is no third party involved. Any other related allegations are completely false. The family appreciates your respect for their privacy at this time.” I think that means that Papa Joe has several young lovers, and he’s not calling any of them his “boyfriend”. YET.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.

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113 Responses to “Is Jessica Simpson’s father, Joe Simpson, secretly gay? (update: divorce!)”

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  1. marie says:

    meh, I could see it-wouldn’t be all that shocking

  2. Global Goddess says:

    What? When was he obsessed with his own daughter’s breasts?? :O

  3. Lisa says:

    Now that’s some gossip! Even if this turns out to be true, his comments about her breasts are still creepy. He is her father, gay or not!

  4. Zombie Nurse says:

    Now that I’ve seen it. I can’t un-see it. Consider my gaydar pinged.

    • Elizabeth says:

      + 1

    • RobN says:

      You can’t call it gaydar if you didn’t even consider the possibility until after somebody else told you.

      • Annie says:

        Hehe – yeah, gaydar is ability to tell BEFORE there are any major rumour. As for MY gaydar, he never pinged at all. I know people want to believe he’s gay because it would be soooo juicy him being a former pastor and all…but, personally I just don’t see it. He may be a bit on the bisexual side like a lot of people which is where these rumors are comming from, but I find it hard to see him as homosexual…mostly I just see a major sleezebag.

  5. Lee says:

    Ahhh, so there’s hope my 53 year old ex may finally come out of the closet…It’s funny how it seems these closeted guys try so hard to seem straight for so long – they’re pastors and/or kinda homophobic (like my ex). Must be hard.

    • Kimbob says:

      Oh girlfriend, I’m sure you and I could burn up the phone lines! I found out my ex was a BAD closet case….screwed me up for years. We’re good friends now, but for awhile I felt seriously burned.

      And you’re right….my ex…his WHOLE LIFE was constructed around building/maintaining the hetero facade. And he was GOOD @ it! Looking back, (hindsight is 20/20) it was so obvious it was so exhausting for him.

      To this day he maintains that facade. After me he married a gold-digger who’s all too happy to be a beard because the last thing in the world she wants to do is work.

      Anyway, I guess that’s why I can find humor in this story….I’ve been through it. Good luck to you…I wish you the best.

      • Lee says:

        Thanks Kimbob! Glad you came out alright on the other side. The worst thing is being an unwitting beard. That leaves multiple levels of betrayal/crap to wade through. And you’ll know what I mean.

      • giddy says:

        THIS^^^ is my ONLY gripe with gay men and why they need to ALL be outed. The CRAP that unsuspecting hetero females go through trying to make some (unknown) gay guy love them — who will NEVER love them — or even be attracted to them — in the way that a hetero guy would love them. F u k these gays who try to have it both ways. My gaydar is finely tuned. But, in my early days, there were several HUGE crushes that wore-me-out trying to understand what I lacked. Why these guys didn’t “like” me? Azz-holes. (Not to say some rejection isn’t normal or expected — but we girls know the difference — particularly as we get wise to the clues.)

        Frankly — THIS is why gay actors hide their sexual preferences and why the backlash seems severe to the ones outed. It’s because they made some women feel like utter failures. And the anger from that self-recrimination is re-directed back to its source.

        Why is it that tele-evangelists are ALWAYS gay??? Really! It’s so cliche. Maybe something to do with the fact that they make a religion about themselves and their personalities. Anyway, no surprise about Joe.

      • Negirl says:

        I wonder if I could send you an email about this subject, or maybe that’s way too forward! I am so confused if I am in this exact situation or not…would love to get an experienced opinion!

      • Negirl says:

        Kimbob, I wonder if I could send you an email about this subject, or maybe that’s way too forward! I am so confused if I am in this exact situation or not…would love to get an experienced opinion!

      • Negirl says:

        Kimbob, I wonder if I could talk to you further about this subject, or maybe that’s way too forward! I am so confused if I am in this exact situation or not…would love to get an experienced opinion!

      • Negirl says:

        Oh gosh, sorry for the multi-post…iphone weirdness.

      • Trashaddict says:

        Guys should definitely not use a serious relationship with a woman to “figure out” if they’re hetero/gay (same for girls). It was bad enough my college roommate had that happen to her, but the guy was into theater and wrote it into a play! Messed her up for a LONG time. I didn’t dislike him because he was gay, I disliked him because he was too cowardly to realize what a manipulative little shit he was being, “for art’s sake”.

    • Ellie66 says:

      That’s rough for the women who have married them. My Aunt married a man in the 70s the we’re together for almost 29 years they had a couple of kids and one day BOOM he tells her he is gay. He ended up living with a guy way way younger, moved to LA (and he lived happily ever after) Lol! My Aunt was shocked and hurt at first but now she is a happily remarried.

      • Djinn says:

        Same applies to women who come out later in life, after living as a married hetero wife & mother for years. The men left behind feel the same feelings of betrayal. Can’t wait for the day that no-one feels the need to live a lie (and to force others into that lie) because society no longer gives a flying what gender consenting adults are attracted to. I doubt I’ll live to see that day.

    • deehunny says:

      It’s so sad. I’m hoping now that it’s 2012 men will be able to come out earlier if they wish.

  6. Green is Good says:

    If this is true, damn. Nobody should have to hide in “The Closet”.

    • Dirtnap says:

      +1,000, Green. No one should have to hide or be ashamed.

    • Seagulls says:

      True, but I wish these men would come to the conclusion that they’re gay and that’s alright before getting married and exploding their marriage thirty years later.

      • Dirtnap says:

        Amen, @Seagulls. ITA. I wish people didn’t feel shame and didn’t feel the need to marry someone to have a “beard.” Imagine the betrayal the spouse feels upon finding out the truth after years of marriage!

      • fabgrrl says:

        To be fair, sometimes they don’t know themselves.

      • Sweet Dee says:

        Of course he could not have done that, most of them can’t if they want to save their relationships with families and friends. Do you know what a Southern Baptist is? They hate gays with a passion and his belief system did not allow for him to be gay, he would have been disowned. It’s disgusting. They live with it as long as they can, and then they implode/explode/commit suicide.

        I hope he’s having a crisis of faith that leads him to leave that pitiful religion.

  7. Jenny says:

    It could boost her shoe line sell.

  8. dcypher1 says:

    Hes also a hardcore christian that probably has a lot to with why it took him so long to comeout. The truth shall set u free.

  9. Jayna says:

    So many Southern preachers come out gay. Lol. He leaves when he has a boytoy. The wife gets to be 51 and start dating. Sweet of you Joe to wait this long to tell her.

    • Pamspam says:

      Totally. As much as I can have compassion for someone feeling they have to hide who they are, I feel worse for her having to start at square one in the dating world. Unless, of course, she knew the entire time…which I guess is a possibility.

  10. Gine says:

    Like you said, I really HOPE this is true. It would make his treatment of his daughters waaaaaaay less creepy.

    • Sia says:

      Why? I do not understand what difference him being gay makes in how he treats his daughters. How does his sexuality change what´s creepy and what´s not? That´s a relationship where his sexuality shouldn´t matter, isn´t it?

  11. maya says:

    Wasn’t he preacher?

  12. Kimbob says:

    I could definitely see this. A good point Kaiser brings up, ‘Papa Joe’s ability to wade through the Hollywood cesspool as Jessica’s manager makes a bit more sense too.’ Because let’s be REAL…I don’t see too many Baptist preachers naturally and successfully being able to negotiate such…wading through the H-wood cesspool.

    What a salacious story. I can picture it now…ol’ Papa Joe arriving in H-wood, seeing all those gorgeous, young male wannabe stars…probably many of them approaching him, asking him how he was so successful at marketing his daughters…asking him to be their “manager.” If there is any grain of truth to this story…the poor man probably couldn’t HELP HIMSELF….LOL!!!

    A Celebitchy write-up w/some real meat on the bones…..huzzah!

  13. Zorbitor says:

    That was Uncle Poodle in the car!

  14. DeltaJuliet says:

    I’m not one bit surprised by this.

  15. Talie says:

    It seems to fit.

  16. aims says:

    scandalous!! there is nothing to be ashamed of, being gay. but why is it that the holier-than-thou people are the ones that always fall of their soapbox the hardest? i have zero problem someone being gay. i do however have a problem with hypocrisy.

    • Miss T says:

      As far as I know, Joe’s never made any homophobic comments, so I don’t see the hypocrisy. Just because he’s a former minister, doesn’t mean he’s a homophobe.

  17. Kim says:

    He did give me a gay vibe years ago .If true I feel for the mom. They were married 30+ years.

    • lucy2 says:

      Me too, always got that impression.

    • giddy says:

      …Except her mom probably liked the money more than she cared about the sex. At some point she had to know — and she chose the money. If she were 30 with young children I’d be more sympathetic.

      This explains why Ashley likes gay guys. And likely is gay herself.

      • Bluedog says:

        That’s a LOT of assumptions there, giddy. You have no way of knowing if any of them are true.

  18. arock says:

    can somebody get that girl a clutch. someone probably told her ginormous bags make her bum look smaller in comparison- not true, mostly it just makes you look like you have a ginormous bag that you THINK make your bum look smaller.

    but the gay thing- yeah, i get that vibe.

  19. Dirtnap says:

    If this rumor is true, I have a clearer understanding of why Jessica may have been stress-eating. I recently read a blind (CDaN?) about two sisters feuding (Jess and Ash?). Jess has also had the pregnancy and birth to contend with (happy but stressful). Her parents are splitting and now possibly this too? I’m a stress eater as well; if I had all of this going on, I would camp out in front of that fridge.

    • Apples says:

      Ooooooo. I was told that blind was about Hilary Duff and her sister’s enjoyment of coke (not so shocking in LA). Now I wonder…

  20. Bonfire Beach says:

    I always thought he was gay.

  21. t says:

    I could see this being true. And Eric Johnson being his boyfriend.

    Then again, this whole family is about getting press for Jessica’s brand, so it could be Joe just planted this story to clean up his image and get the brand its weekly mention in the tabloids.

    From now on he will be known as the former preacher who bravely came out of the closet instead of the drunk-driving incestuous pervert obsessed with his daughter’s boobs. So everyone go buy a Jessica Simpson wiglet.

  22. Murphy says:

    Ok Jess, time to cut Nick another big check for not blabbing.

  23. tru tru says:

    I can beleive it, he always seemed like he was hiding something.

    he never seemed focused on his marriage, just Jessica and ways to be away from his wife.

    When is the last time we have seen them pictured together in a loving embrace or at least “looking together”

    we may never know the real truths, because I do not see him going on the red carpets hugged up w/his new boo.

    Old Joe got turned out in Hollywood

  24. Grace says:

    I can believe this. Southern men who talk incessantly about boobs, sex, or morality are usually closeted. His poor wife had been dealing with that madness for years.His pedophilia tendencies towards his daughter are still creepy. He has stalker tendencies.

  25. TG says:

    Agreed @Kaiser – It is a relief to know that he is gay. Now his talk about Jess’s breasts doesn’t seem so creepy.

  26. daisydoodle says:

    well slap me on the ass and call me Mary, whatever anyone else says, I’m a little surprised. It’s true about the Christian Preacher rep, they seem to be the ones that really try really hard to be macho…

  27. Relli says:

    Didn’t her parent separate a long time ago, like shortly after both sisters started to make it big and then reconcile?!?! Am I confusing them with another set of blonde bimbos parents?

  28. Christian says:

    Honestly, good for him for coming out. My heart goes out to his family, because that’s got to be a rough thing to deal with. But NO ONE should have to feel ashamed of or hide their homosexuality, especially not for decades. Some people never come out – I can’t imagine living a lie forever.

  29. F5 says:

    Well if *that* most insane gossip is true, then it’s all on tape.. but as much I love gossip, I hope it doesn’t come out. I always liked Jessica.

  30. teehee says:

    Whoa he hasnt sais that he is…. holdyer horses

  31. haha says:

    so thats why this isnt a Spears family, and thats why Jessica is doing so well financialy, aldo she hasnt had a hit in years…thats why she’s in fashion.DADDY’s smart.love him.

  32. Jess says:

    He was the one pushing her into showbusiness and pageants. Just saying.

  33. Amory says:

    Who cares? To me, it would only matter if he used his position as preacher to blast homosexuality, but it doesn’t seem like he’s really a practicing preacher. He just seems like one more scum-bag parent manager.

  34. jani says:

    When you see them all standing together in that picture, it’s pretty obvious that he’s the one with the style sense and the good looks. The one with the brains too.

    If he is gay, I hope that this is his first step in coming out. The homophobic, religious, ministerial closet is a tough one to break out of.

  35. mzthirtyeight says:

    I’m not really liking all the connotations where religious/Christian equates homophobe.

    • Yoga Steak says:

      This.

    • Bluedog says:

      Totally!

    • Sam says:

      To be fair, Papa Joe was a Baptist minister – they’re conservative. Jessica promoted conservative Christian values earlier in her career and made her virginity an asset.

      Not all Christians are homophobes, but these particular ones do come from a tradition that is homophobic – which does make it a little ironic.

    • Djinn says:

      To be fair there are certain denominations that are not well known for being gay friendly. How many Southern Baptist churches would tolerate a gay preacher? That’s not to say its enough to confer homophobia to ALL people who follow the religion but I think it’s fair to assume it’s a viewed shared by many based on the sermons they voluntarily subject themselves to.

  36. Isa says:

    She said not AS creepy. It’s still a bit creepy. But maybe he is just being matter of fact about Jessica’s big boobs. My dad has made fun of me for my small ones. But he also told me to be grateful I have no problems running (except I don’t run)
    But yea it’s creepy, but not quite as creepy as we though.

  37. LMS says:

    Yep. My gaydar always went off on him.

  38. the original bellaluna says:

    I don’t care that he’s gay; I care that he’s creepy!

    And I feel bad for his family and hope they work through this and accept it and still love him.

  39. Fyofeelings says:

    He’s gross this stuff he should’ve figured out before marrying and having kids!

    • Kim says:

      Maybe he thought he could pray the gay away or be cured.When he got married in the late seventies being gay was classified a disorder.He. was 20 She was 18 in Texas.It was a different time

    • Djinn says:

      Until you’re faced with making a decision that will see you shunned by your own community and much of the nation you really shouldn’t judge.

  40. Kate says:

    I think it’s good for him to come out. It’s actually makes Jessica’s brand more interesting.

  41. Chatcat says:

    I DON’T CARE ABOUT THIS…HIS DIVORCE OR IF HE’S GAY!

    Just wanted to get that off my chest.

  42. OXA says:

    I wonder if Nick knew and that is why Joe wanted him gone or maybe he wanted him for himself.

  43. Sam says:

    This is why I have a bit of suspicion about people who position themselves as “good Christians.” Jessica did the whole “I saved myself for marriage thing,” then divorces her husband, takes up with multiple different men and has a child out of wedlock – none of which is especially Baptist. Her sister is pregnant at her wedding and divorces her husband. The parents are divorcing and the father is possibly gay. Sound like excellent Christians to me!

    (I am a Christian, so don’t take this as an attack on Christianity. Take this as an attack on a particular kind of “Christian.”)

    • Kim says:

      She wanted to save her virginity until marriage. What’s wrong with that? .It’s not like she criticized others who didn’t wait. What is a Good Christian? What is a Bad Christian? Does divorce, pre marital sex make one a Bad Christian? I have never heard of any of these people making homophobic comments so how are they hypocrite. BTW I am a Bad Christian since I engage in fornication as much as possible.

      • Jaded says:

        +1 – I thought being a good Christian meant being good to your fellow human beings, doing unto others, being charitable, honest, etc.

        Religion, however, has no place in the bedrooms of people, if they want to fornicate, good on them, wish I could right now (gone through a long dry spell….).

      • Sam says:

        Uh, the Simpsons are BAPTISTS – which is a conservative denomination. They preach no pre-marital sex, no divorce and no babies out of wedlock. And the Simpsons seem to break all that stuff. If you’re going to be part of a faith, then doesn’t it make sense to abide by the rules? If you want to fornicate and do all that other stuff, why not seek out a religion that is actually okay with it? I don’t have much regard for Christians who are so conservative, but I have even less repsect for people who want to be in the club but not follow the rules. It’s just tacky.

  44. snappyfish says:

    straight or gay, that guy is skeevy.

  45. LucyOriginal says:

    I know It’s none of my business and I usually don’t care about Jessica and her family.
    But if this is true, I am happy for him, but at the same time I’m upset. If this is true, He deceived his wife for a long time. That’s horrible.

  46. Anon73 says:

    holy sh*z !!! most tantalizing gossip headline i have read in LONG time. is it wrong that I am hoping this rumor Papa Joe is secretly gay is true ?!? just so juicy, esp given he was a Southern Preacher

  47. Luke says:

    Um…he being gay makes it easier to navigate the cesspool of LA? What the hell does that mean? Gay men aren’t any more savvy than straight men.

    I am a gay man, and struggled with my own naivety. Being in the closet meant I didn’t feel like I could go to adults for advice. I got myself into situations way over my head and had to learn the hard way.

    Your site is always awesomely gay-positive so I think (and hope) this is just unfortunate wording.

    • ZenB!tch says:

      I would think a closeted gay man would have a HARDER time navigating the cesspool of Hollywood. Closeted gay men, young women and young gay men that don’t put out have no chance in this town – if they want to make it.

  48. ZenB!tch says:

    A lot of pastors seem to be. Ted Haggard and wide stance guy for example? Maybe they join to pray the gay away?

    I feel better about her DDs. He was thinking along the lines of how to dress them.

  49. midnightmoon says:

    Is it my imagination, or does that picture make her look JUST LIKE Jessica Biel’s younger, shorter, blonder sister? wow.