Daniella Midenge for Bustle
In a new profile, Simpson reacts to fans assuming she was on weight-loss drugs, speculation Mark Wahlberg was the "massive movie star" she secretly dated after Nick Lachey divorce and TikTokers now seeing her ex as the "villain" of Newlyweds.
Jessica Simpson just responded to a lot of recent social media chatter surrounding her in a brand new interview.
Speaking with Bustle for a new cover story, the 42-year-old singer-turned-businesswoman was asked about some of the online theories and speculation to pop up about her over the past year or so, starting with allegations she's "too skinny" or taking the weight loss drug Ozempic after a Pottery Barn Kids ad last November sparked concern.
Daniella Midenge for Bustle
"Oh Lord. I mean, it is not," she said of Ozempic. "It's willpower. I'm like, do people want me to be drinking again? Because that's when I was heavier. Or they want me to be having another baby? My body can't do it."
Of her fluctuating weight, she added that she's "fortunate to have been every size," especially when it comes to her "brand, understanding the women [who buy our products], and for my psyche."
Another rumor that went around the internet earlier this year was one linking her to Mark Wahlberg, after Simpson released an Amazon Original Stories short about her secret relationship with a "massive movie star" following her split from Nick Lachey.
She didn't name names in her story and claimed the pair never had sex, describing the man as religious and having a girlfriend. After an experience that left her feeling "like a call girl" and the realization he was "hiding me from his chick," the two parted ways.
Bustle asked Simpson if she'd heard from Wahlberg since posting her story, clearly believing it was about him as well, and this is how she reportedly reacted:
She laughs — like a deafening, throw-back-your-head-and-cackle laugh — before saying she would absolutely not confirm the subject's identity. "There's a lot of Catholics out there," she offers.
Simpson also reflected on her time with Lachey on Newlyweds, the former couple's MTV reality show documenting their marriage -- and marriage woes -- for the world to see.
"What gave me control was people seeing me vulnerable on Newlyweds. My power is in my vulnerability," she said of the show, in retrospect.
"In 2002, MTV wanted a docuseries about newlyweds. Nick was hesitant, but I was like, 'Sure.' I'll never forget those cameras coming into our house," she continued in a video (below).
"What you got from Newlyweds was the newness of a whole new genre of TV that was about to happen and I feel like people got a sneak peek into my heart and who I am. Our reality TV was so raw, so real, to the point of embarrassment. That's all you need, is cameras in front of you to see how long you stay married."
She was also asked about one clip from the show in particular that recently went viral on TikTok, in which Lachey calls Simpson a "spoiled brat." When the reporter noted that new viewers see Nick as the "villain," she reportedly shrugged -- before saying of the public's initial, more positive impression of Nick back in the day that "It's amazing what publicity can do."
Post Lachey, Simpson later dated John Mayer and Tony Romo, before she started dating her now-husband Eric Johnson in 2010. The pair married in 2014, after welcoming daughter Maxwell and son Ace. They're also parents to daughter Birdie, born in 2019.
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