The Most Tragic Details About Jessica Simpson & Eric Johnson's Divorce

No break-up is easy, but it seems Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson going their separate ways has been particularly tough. Following months of signs Simpson and Johnson were heading for divorce, the singer turned fashion mogul finally confirmed the news in January 2025. "Our children come first, and we are focusing on what is best for them," she said, in part, in a statement obtained by People. "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 added.

Plenty of sad details about their separation hit the headlines both before and after the news broke, including when an insider told Us Weekly in November 2024, "Jessica is heartbroken." They added, "[It's] an incredibly difficult time" and noted, "[It was] not an easy decision for her." But her understandable sadness is hardly the only tragic detail of this break-up, as more signs materialize suggesting Simpson and Johnson were never meant to last.

Jessica Simpson seemed very eager to sell the Los Angeles home she and Eric Johnson owned during their marriage, which may have been a sign they wanted a quicker sale due to heartbreaking memories. She first put the mansion on the market in September 2023, but removed it 11 months later. Then, only two days before the "With You" hitmaker announced her divorce, she re-listed it for a lot less, as $4.1 million was taken off the original price.

It's not clear where Simpson intends to move to when the home is sold, but she opened up about spending time away from the Golden State in August 2023. She made it clear she was happier in Tennessee, where she'd been working on her musical comeback. "Being in Nashville, even my kids are like, 'You laugh the whole time. You're so happy,'" she told E! News. "It's because I'm not on guard. I'm with a lot of like-minded people. It's not about the celebrities — it's really about the music and the heart and the conversation," she added.

In another tragic twist, just four days before she confirmed her split, the "Employee of the Month" actor shared she'd evacuated the L.A. property due to devastating wildfires. Simpson posted a photo on Instagram Stories that appeared to show her yard as the smoke got closer. "We stayed as long as we could," she captioned the upload (via New York Post).

The couple was so once so in love and supportive of each other, making her apparent concern their break-up could turn nasty all the more tragic. "She is fearful of how messy their divorce could be," a source told Daily Mail in November 2024 amid the swirling Simpson and Johnson divorce rumors. "She has increased her net worth while married to Eric and he has played a large part in this. He was there for her every step of the way, working alongside her for many of her ventures," they added, but claimed she didn't feel appreciated by her now estranged husband.

However, how much money Johnson will walk away with could be limited unless he contests their prenup. Simpson confirmed their arrangement in 2020, admitting she learned her lesson after not signing on the dotted line during her first marriage to Nick Lachey. "We connected over both being divorced and having our hearts broken and knowing who we wanted for the rest of our lives," she told "Access Hollywood."

But as if the demise of Simpson's second marriage wasn't sad enough, Daily Mail's source claimed neither she nor Johnson actually were overly interested in saving their relationship in the end. "She isn't really present in the marriage, which is fractured, and she says that neither of them seems to care," they claimed.

Jessica Simpson's marriage trouble with Eric Johnson reportedly became so bad it was unhealthy for the "Dukes of Hazzard" star. A source told People in January, "Their marital issues have felt suffocating for a while. She needs to move on for her own well-being." That came a few months after an insider told Entertainment Tonight, "[She's trying] navigate their marital issues on top of trying to take care of herself and family."

That may further explain why Simpson, who's weathered a number of tragedies, took the big step of moving to Nashville. She and Johnson weren't consistently living together in the latter stages of their marriage, as she confirmed to People in November 2023 she stayed part-time in Tennessee to make music while he was in California with their kids. "I'm back and forth a lot so now they know what it's like to miss me and I feel very loved," she said. "[The kids are] in school so I have two weeks [in Nashville], two weeks home," she added. But the relocation reportedly caused friction between the businesswoman and her now ex. "Eric felt abandoned, while Jess felt she wasn't asking too much, and neither saw the other's point of view," a source told Life & Style in September 2024.

A source suggested to Page Six in November 2024 that Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson may have struggled to be around each other, even for their kids, amid their separation. "In years past, Jess always attended events at the school either solo or with Eric. Never Eric alone. But recently it's just been Eric," they claimed. They added the "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" singer's absence added another layer to their already difficult split, as other parents began gossiping about their private life as stories leaked to the press.

The insider didn't confirm why Simpson supposedly skipped school events, but if it was due to tension with her estranged husband, it seems the two are at least trying to work through their issues. A source told People in January that they'd already created a new normal for their three children. "The kids will always come first. They are co-parenting," they said.

Though Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson haven't explicitly confirmed if one particular issue led to their divorce, some fans believe the singer's statement hinted at something tragic. In her statement to People, Simpson said, "Eric and I have been living separately navigating a painful situation in our marriage." She didn't elaborate on the "situation," but the interesting wording sparked speculation. "This is an unusually honest statement. No 'remain the best of friends' no 'continue to love and support each other on our new journeys,'" one Reddit user pointed out. Another highlighted Simpson's words and commented, "That sounds brutally honest. It's hard enough to go through something like that privately, I can't imagine trying to do it publicly."

Neither Simpson nor Johnson publicly confirmed any wrongdoing, but a source dished to Entertainment Tonight in November 2024 about an issue they may have faced. "[There were] rumors and rumblings about Eric being overly flirtatious during their relationship — especially when he drinks," a source said. Simpson has been vocal about her sobriety and claimed in 2020 her husband became sober to support her. "Eric gave up drinking the second I did ... It was like no biggie and he hasn't gone back or looked back," she told People. That came four years before Page Six reported the two's trust was gone. "Jess and Eric had trust issues. They were no longer on the same page, and it drove a wedge between them," a source said.

Simpson also hinted at possible marriage drama in a cryptic November 2024 Instagram post. Writing about her new music, she told her followers, "It's an apology to myself for putting up with everything I did not deserve."