Jessica Simpson is opening up about her past struggles with alcohol.
In an interview with Today, Simpson revealed she was on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in May 2017 — and was drunk during the segment.
“I can’t even watch the interview,” Simpson told Today. “It was a weak moment for me, and I wasn’t in the right place. I’d started a spiral and I couldn’t catch up with myself...and that was with alcohol.”
Simpson explained how during her addiction, she would begin drinking as early as 7 a.m. Even though the images she shared with the world might have painted a happy picture, she recalled how her day-to-day life was very different. It was after Halloween 2017, when she had drunk too much to dress her kids and spend time with her family, that she decided to cut alcohol out for good.
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“I just realized that I had to surrender,” Simpson said. “I just want to continue on the path that I’m on and at this point in my life, now I’m strong enough to deal with anything that comes my way because I don’t have something to retreat to that will numb me from actually going through it.”
Simpson delves into her addiction to alcohol, past relationships, and childhood abuse in her new memoir, Open Book. In the book, she reveals how she was sexually abused as a young girl — and compounded with the stress of massive early fame, the resulting trauma led her to turn to alcohol and other substances. She also talks about how her life under the spotlight led the world to scrutinize everything from her body to her romantic relationships.
At the close of her Today interview, Simpson sang a verse from “Amazing Grace.” She says the song inspires and grounds her.
“It’s about walking through fear and learning how to be afraid — and the other side of fear is so beautiful,” Simpson said. “That’s when you get the reward.”