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As rumors swirl that Jessica Simpson and husband Eric Johnson have called it quits, fans are frantically commenting on her Instagram photos — particularly the rare ones of her, Johnson, and their three children — hoping that the reports of their split aren’t true.
Simpson and Johnson have been married since July 2014. They began dating in 2010, when the former NFL star was still legally married to his first wife, Keri D’Angelo, though the two had split in 2009. (Simpson, for her part, was famously married to Nick Lachey from 2002 to 2006.)
The “I Wanna Love You Forever” singer gave birth to her and Johnson’s first-born, daughter Maxwell Drew — nicknamed Maxi Drew — in May 2012. Thirteen months later, they welcomed son Ace to the family, before rounding out their brood with daughter Birdie, who was born in March 2019.
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Simpson has long been vocal about her love for her family over the years — even during the toughest moments in her life.
The fashion designer shared in her 2020 memoir, Open Book, that she hit rock bottom after realizing she was too drunk to put her kids in their Halloween costumes in 2017. She started her sobriety journey after the incident, writing, “There’s no better gift I can give my kids, there’s no better gift I can give my husband. More importantly, there’s no better gift I can give myself.”
One year after the release of her book, Simpson shared a photo of the family of five (plus their dog), as she gushed over Johnson in a lengthy tribute on his 42nd birthday.
“The blessed day this world received the gift of you is the greatest day of the year for so many, but especially for your fortunate wife and our beautifully perfect children,” she wrote in the 2021 post, adding: “I love you. Maxwell loves you. Ace loves you. Birdie loves you.”
The following year was a celebratory one for the Johnson-Simpson family, who all hIt the beach for the “Johnson Family Spring Break 2022,” as the Jessica Simpson CollectIon founder captioned a series of family photos from their sunny getaway that April.
Two months later, Simpson, Johnson and all three kids posed together to celebrate Birdie’s last day of school in June.
In September 2023, she wished Johnson a happy 44th birthday alongside a sweet caption and numerous family photos.
“Eric turned 44 on Sept 15 and his family gave him all the love cells we have to celebrate his life,” she penned. “My heart is so taken with this Man, I could hardly call it my own…. We love youuuu.”
Just over one year later, however, it appears as if the duo — who have each been spotted without their wedding rings in fall 2024 — have split.
Simpson and Johnson are reportedly “living separately right now,” according to an Us Weekly source, while “trying to figure out a separation without disrupting their kids’ lives as much as possible.”