Jessica Simpson
Real Name: Jessica Ann Simpson
Date of Birth: 10 July 1980
Place of birth: Abilene, TX
Profession: Actress/Pop Singer
Jessica Simpson has been fully functional in the entertainment industry for nearly a decade, and became a star around the same time that other stars like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, and ex-husband, Nick Lachey, were all getting famous in the world of pop music. Jessica grew up in suburban Texas, along with her sister, Ashlee, who is also a famous pop star, her father, Joe, who is both of his daughters’ managers, and her mother, Tina. Jessica’s career took off in 1998, which was the same year she met future ex-husband, Nick Lachey. Both Lachey and Simpson’s careers seemed intertwined as their music seemed to peak at the same time, though still overshadowed by the likes of Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, and N’SYNC. After many successful albums and rumors of engagement, Lachey and Simpson were married in October of 2002. The marriage prompted MTV to offer both of them the possibility for a reality show, a concept which was very high in demand after the success of MTV’s “The Osbournes”. “Newlyweds” only heightened Lachey and Simpson’s celebrity statuses and put them on the Hollywood’s A list. Simpson had a recurring role in 2003, as Ashton Kutcher’s character, Kelso’s, girlfriend, which took her stardom to another level.
2005 was one of the biggest years ever for Simpson, as she was recruited for the role of Daisy Duke, in the “Dukes of Hazzard”. The movie was very well received by audiences in summer of 2005, but swirling rumors about her interaction with co-star Johnny Knoxville, along with rumors of Nick’s illegitimate behavior, produced a divorce for the couple in June of 2006. The divorce was highly touted by the tabloids, and even prompted new albums by Lachey and Simpson. Lachey’s album received critical and commercial success, while Jessica’s did well on a commercial level, though many of her fans were unable to look past the breakdowns she was having in public. Simpson continued on with her acting career, and in the summer of 2006, she starred with Dane Cook, in “Employee of the Month”, which failed to get much attention at the box office.
Interesting Facts
Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey made headlines through much of their early romantic involvement due to her public announcements of remaining chaste, though dating Nick for such a long time. Simpson still stands by what she said, and states that she was able to refrain from serious sexual contact with Lachey, until their wedding night in 2002.
“Dukes of Hazzard” received a great deal of commercial success, but was completely panned by movie critics, who viewed it as an extremely low-brow form of entertainment and a comedic failure. Simpson’s role in the film landed her a Razzie nomination for Worst Female Actress, alongside her sister, Ashlee, for her role in, “Undiscovered.” Both can take pride in the fact that they did not win the 2006 award.
