“I found out that my world had been turned upside down,” said the singer, who announced her separation from Johnson after 10 years of marriage in January.
Jessica Simpson is proudly “single” and ready to mingle following her separation from Eric Johnson.
During a surprise set at the Luck Reunion festival in Spicewood, Texas, on Thursday, the 44-year-old singer reflected on recording her upcoming EP, Nashville Canyon, Part 1, in Nashville ahead of her split from Johnson.
Jessica Simpson Drops New Single About ‘Unholy Matrimony’ After Eric Johnson Separation
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“I was out in Nashville, and I had my heart wide open. I was in a very intuitive state, and I had to ask some very personal questions on the home front,” Simpson shared during her performance, according to videos posted on social media. “I found out that my world had been turned upside down and that life was now very different.”
“I am a very single lady,” she added with a laugh.
“When we open our hearts, sometimes we’re vulnerable, and it just gets broken,” she continued. “Maybe sometimes we forget that we’ve been broken for a really long time, but when we meet ourselves, when we write, when we sing [and] when we connect with ourselves, we find all the answers.”
Simpson announced that she and Johnson, 45, had split after 10 years of marriage in January. “Eric and I have been living separately navigating a painful situation in our marriage,” she shared in a statement at the time.
Simpson did not elaborate on the “painful situation” that led to the split.
“Our children come first, and we are focusing on what is best for them,” she added. “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.”
It’s unclear if she has filed for divorce.
Jessica Simpson Drops First Song In 15 Years After Separation From Husband Eric Johnson
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The two, who have been married since July 2014, share three children together: daughters Maxwell Drew, 12, and Birdie Mae, 5, and son Ace Knute, 11.
Simpson’s appearance at the Luck Reunion festival came one day after her first live performance in over a decade on Wednesday.
Simpson hit the stage at the Recording Academy’s Austin Chapter Block Party as part of South By Southwest festival in Austin.
“I needed to remember who I was and why I wanted to sing in the first place,” she said. “And I needed to forget who they told me to be.”
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According to Billboard, Simpson sang new songs from her upcoming EP in her six-song set, including “Breadcrumbs” and “Leave,” along with a covers of Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man” and Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made For Walkin,” which she famously covered for the 2005 film, Dukes of Hazzard.
The next day, Simpson reflected on her performance in an Instagram post, in which she shared clips from her set.
“Last night was my first performance in 15 years. It was an emotional coming back home to the best part of myself,” she captioned her post. “Thank you for embracing me. You know that I have so much to say, but this lucky voice gets to soar again tonight. I love y’all. More to come…”
Last month, Simpson made her return to music, releasing her first song in over 15 years. On February 21, she dropped her single, “Use My Heart Against Me.”
Nashville Canyon, Part 1 drops in full on March 21.
