Jessica Simpson has mastered the craft of tastefully throwing shade when necessary. Her memoir, Open Book, which she released in 2020, addressed many of her previous (and sometimes toxic) Hollywood relationships, and she’s not done talking about her ex-husband Nick Lachey. In a new interview with Bustle (which came with an iconic photo shoot featuring bedazzled butt-less jeans), Simpson shared her opinion on the resurgence of her and Lachey’s early 2000s reality TV show Newlyweds and the public’s refreshed perception of her ex’s behavior.
Back when the show aired, Simpson was portrayed as a bimbo and housewife while Lachey came out looking like the good guy and a model husband. Now that the show has reached new audiences via social media platforms like TikTok, viewers are calling out some of his misogynistic tendencies. When asked how she feels about this change in mindset, the publication described her reaction as a “better-late-than-never shrug.”
“It’s amazing what publicity can do,” she shadily added.
But Simpson stands by her own actions on the show, simply saying “that’s me.”
“My power is in my vulnerability … I’m still that person,” she explained before adding that she’d still have the same reaction today if her husband Eric Johnson told her what to do. “Honestly, if Eric told me I had to do all the laundry, I would still throw it over the banister and throw a hissy fit.”
Simpson may be returning to the reality TV realm in the near future. According to the outlet, she and the producers of Newlyweds are collaborating to create a new unscripted docuseries. “We’re about to start shopping it around,” she shared.
The singer and fashion designer also felt proud to work on this project on her own, without the help of her father, Joe Simpson. “I felt like it was the first conversation we ever had, because everything was always through my dad,” she said of working with the producer.
In 2020, Simpson also signed a deal with Amazon Studios to create a scripted series based on her book and helmed by Tom Kapinos, creator of Californication. After shooting the pilot, Amazon ultimately decided to pass on the project, but Simpson still has hopes of shopping that series around, as well.
Jessica Simpson Just Addressed TikTok Calling Out Nick Lachey’s Behavior on ‘Newlyweds’ Jessica Simpson Just Addressed TikTok Calling Out Nick Lachey’s Behavior on ‘Newlyweds’