Jessica Simpson hints at Eric Johnson’s ‘mistakes’ as she reflects on ‘unexpected’ split

Jessica Simpson is choosing to love her estranged husband, Eric Johnson, through his “mistakes” following their separation.

“I choose love because if I chose to be resentful or if I chose to let the pain of it overwhelm me, I would fail,” Simpson told Parade of her breakup in an interview published Friday.

“And so I had to choose love and loving people through their mistakes. If I’m going to love through my mistakes, I have to love others through their mistakes.”

As the “With You” singer makes her return to music after a more than 15-year hiatus, Simpson has teased several details about her ongoing divorce.

Elsewhere in her Friday interview, she detailed the backstory behind her “Nashville Canyon Pt. 2” EP, saying her time in the recording studio helped her heal from heartbreak.

“When I was in Nashville and recording, I was going through a really hard time, an unexpected change of life. I don’t think I’ve ever been so confused. But I didn’t let the confusion, the heartbreak, the negativity of that hold me back,” Simpson shared.

She worked hard “to get to a place where I can have grace and compassion for the situation — for the sake of my kids — and be strong for myself, for my kids, for my family, even for Eric. I am a leader. I’m a mom.”

“It is so important to bright-side the sh– out of things. I’m a very optimistic person, and I know everything happens for a reason, and I know the truth sets you free,” said Simpson, who shares daughters Maxwell, 13, and Birdie, 6, and son Ace, 12, with Johnson.

Simpson, 45, announced her split from her husband of 10 years in January, telling her fans that she and Johnson had been “living separately” while they navigated a “painful situation” in their relationship.

“Our children come first, and we are focusing on what is best for them. 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,” she told people in a statement.

The announcement came after years of speculation regarding their marriage.

Eagle-eyed fans believed she and Johnson were experiencing marital problems when they noticed that Simpson hadn’t posted photos with her spouse, 45, since 2023.

In March, she hinted that her life was turned “upside down” by her breakup during her concert at the Luck Reunion music festival in Spicewood, Texas.

“I was in a very intuitive state and I had asked some very personal questions on the home front and I found out that my world had been turned upside down and that life was now very different,” she continued, adding, “I’m a very single lady.”

“You know, when we open our hearts, sometimes we’re vulnerable and it just gets broken and maybe sometimes we forget that we’ve been broken for a really long time,” she shared.