I’m going to tell you something shocking: Jessica Simpson’s memoir, Open Book, came out THIS YEAR. Doesn’t it feel like a lifetime ago? It came out pre-pandemic, and we got about ten stories out of it, which is pretty good for a celebrity memoir. Jessica spilled some vintage tea about her marriage to Nick Lachey, her relationship with John Mayer, her alcoholism and tons of other stuff. The memoir was well-received and I really respected Jessica for putting so much of that out there. Jessica recently spoke to SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show about her pandemic life, sobriety and lots more. Some highlights:
Why she wrote her memoir, Open Book: “I did make a huge shift in my life…. I was at that point in my life where my kids were growing older and they were watching every move that I made. I just really wanted clarity. I wanted to understand myself cause I didn’t even realize how much I was drinking and how much I was suppressing. I thought it was making me brave, I thought it was making me confident and it was actually the complete opposite, it was silencing me….
On her sobriety: “It’s almost been three years which is crazy, I mean it’s pretty, it’s awesome. People are like ‘don’t you want to drink during this pandemic, oh my god aren’t your kids driving you crazy.’ I’m like no, I do not want to drink, like, I have not wanted it, I feel like that’s a big blessing. Once I surrendered and gave it over I never looked back and my husband did it with me so that support was amazing.”
The pandemic journal: “Through the pandemic every morning I journal and I haven’t done that in forever. Normally it was to do song writing or something like that. But now every morning I sit with my journal, I confront myself before I confront my family.”
How she hit rock bottom with her alcoholism: “It just ended up coming to a surface. I knew a lot of it was coming up, coming up and I couldn’t suppress it any more. The alcohol was not numbing anything. It wasn’t numb anymore, I was just numb. I couldn’t even understand stuff that was coming out of my mouth, it didn’t sound like me. So I really had to get back inside the person that I am. When you do that self-reflection it’s very empowering. It takes a lot of courage. I can promise anyone on the other side of that fear, that courage is so beautiful and it’s one of the most rewarding things and decisions I have ever made in my life. And I never thought I would have to make that decision.”
On turning 40: “I am, like, embracing the quarantine life. I freaked out two months before I turned 40, not knowing that that age would even mean anything to me but then it’s like 41, 42…. I’ve never calculated my age until now…. I am accepting it slowly [laughs]… I just think I am such a person that reminisces, I hold on to so many memories, I am tragically romantic like that about my own self….. Thank god I put a memoir out at 40 because if not it would have been 800 pages if I waited any longer.”
[From SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show]
“I am tragically romantic like that about my own self” is such a surprisingly self-aware comment and it also made me laugh! And now I’m wondering if I am tragically romantic about myself too? Am I? Anyway, turning 40 is no f–king joke and it does make you take stock of your life and what’s going right and what’s going wrong. I actually appreciate that Jessica’s alcoholic bottoming-out wasn’t some huge crime or drunken arrest or anything – she was just self-medicating and her husband was tired of it and her friends were tired of it and she was tired of her drunk self. I would love to read her journals!
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
I’m so glad Jessica did not turn out to be the dumb bimbo she played on TV.
Getting help and talking about it requires so much strength, and from what we can see publicly, she’s handling it like a boss. Good for her. I wish her well.
She was probably very immature for her age considering how she was raised.
I’m really glad she has handled lockdown well. I’m really glad she is doing well in her sobriety. I wish her nothing but the best.
I think she is much smarter than people think.
An kudos for her sobriety.
I never imagined Jessica had this much substance,
I never thought that much about her, only her shoe line which I love, but I really like this woman.
I think so too, I really loved her memoir even though I never usually read that kind of book. It’s great that she seems to happy and relieved after publicly owning up to her struggles and disappointments.
Her book was really great and so is she!
Her book really was great! I absolutely loved it and now have such admiration for her.
I read it on a whim and found her so charming and honest and endearing. I wasn’t a huge fan prior to reading her memoir but now I really root for her!
I quit drinking in my late twenties for the same reasons. My husband (fiancé at the time) also quit with me even though the problem was 100% with me drinking; not him. I’ve been sober for 13 years this November and I know my partner not drinking was a huge factor in my sobriety. Just wanted to give some props to her husband for the support. I may be biased, but I tend to think it shows a great level of commitment and love for your spouse to do that and I’m so happy for both of them.
So happy for you!
I like Jessica. She always puts a smile on my face as her energy seems very honest and open.
I have always loved Jessica Simpson! She is such a beautiful woman and seems exactly the same on the inside. She has always been at the top of the list of celebrities I would like to meet. I read her memoir and was blown away. Very honest and very real. She has a beautiful family and I wish them much happiness!
I’ve quit drinking recently and her statement is so true!! “I can promise anyone on the other side of that fear, that courage is so beautiful and it’s one of the most rewarding things and decisions I have ever made in my life.”
My mind is so clear and I have so much more courage to face my fears and anxieties, not just numb them. Also, I have TONS of energy and my skin looks great!
To everyone working on sobriety, I salute you!
JS looks great in that red outfit, not a lot of people could rock that look.
I wanted to stop drinking as a new year resolution but I didnt,then i gave up for Lent and never looked back. Best decision!
I love that she’s so self-aware! I turn 40 next February and I feel so confident for the first time in my life. I am totally embracing who I am and am finally getting to the point where I can stand up for myself and not feel guilty afterward. It’s so empowering! I had a major break through at work this week, where I argued with a higher up and stood my ground. It rocked me to my core and felt amazing after the anger subsided 🙂 Boo-yah!
“I am tragically romantic like that about my own self.” I love this. And I don’t think it’s a bad thing — I think romanticizing your life, especially the little things, makes it a well-lived and fully appreciated one.
I say bye to booze last August, and I haven’t looked back. I agree with so much of what she said – I never thought I’d have to make that decision either. But I’m so glad I did.
As the years go by I’m becoming more and more of a fan of hers and how she is developing as a person and choosing to share that. I’m not a memoir fan at all but I am tempted to give this a try.
I absolutely devoured her memoir. It was so honest and real and, in reading it, I could actually tell that SHE wrote (most of) it… If she had a ghostwriter, they did a very good job of making sure that Jessica’s voice came through loud and clear.
This reminds me I have to read her book!! I’ve read other reviews saying it’s very well-written and from her interviews I believe it. She’s really eloquent and has a way with words. I’m so happy she’s staying healthy during the pandemic.
Good for her, lockdown did the opposite for me, I was drinking every night. I cracked down a few weeks ago and feel so much better.
It’s nice to hear about people who quit drinking without having to hit rock bottom. My husband recently quit because he felt he was too dependent on it and it took too much energy to moderate his drinking. His parents died of alcoholism and he has struggled with the idea that you need to be a horrendous mess before you quit. We don’t hear enough stories about people who just don’t like how they are when they drink so they stop
I read her book on a whim… I absolutely loved it! Such a candid and touching read! I do wish her the best!