Jessica Simpson has opened up about her decision to get sober and how she reclaimed her voice.
"The moment I started drinking too much was when I started writing music in 2016 and it was making me go to places and feel sorry for myself," she told People in a new interview. "I don't know why I wanted to feel sorry for myself other than the alcohol was lying to me and saying, 'You're braver because you can say this with me on your side.' "
However, upon reflecting on the narrative she was telling herself, Simpson, 44, said it was simply "not true."
"I actually am so much more honest without alcohol, and I actually believe myself so much more without alcohol," she said.
The pop singer, who has been alcohol-free since 2017, explained that she found that, rather than getting in touch with her emotions, drinking silenced her emotions.
"Instead of addressing them, dealing with them and getting through it, I was just letting them be," she told People.
Simpson has faced her share of criticism in recent months. In August rumors emerged that she had started drinking again. The speculation was sparked by a fan who told her to "stop drinking" in the comments section of a photo of her 11-year-old son Ace posted on Instagram.
"I haven't wanted or touched alcohol since October 2017, and it has been the best decision I've made for myself and for my family," Simpson replied, according to the New York Post.
"Thank. You for your concern, but you have me very misunderstood. Sending love your way," she added.
Simpson revealed in 2023 she had quit alcohol while reflecting on her journey and what led her to give up drinking.
Taking to her Instagram stories, the singer posted a photo of herself taken Nov. 1, 2017. She originally shared the photo in 2021, while opening up about getting sober. Captioning the image from then, Simpson wrote about that "unrecognizable version" of herself.
"I had so much self discovery to unlock and explore. I knew in this very moment I would allow myself to take back my light, show victory over my internal battle of self respect, and brave this world with piercing clarity," she wrote.
"Personally, to do this I needed to stop drinking alcohol because it kept my mind and heart circling in the same direction and quite honestly I was exhausted," Simpson added before speaking out about the stigma of alcoholism.
"There is so much stigma around the word alcoholism or the label of an alcoholic. The real work that needed to be done in my life was to actually accept failure, pain, brokenness, and self-sabotage," she wrote.
"The drinking wasn't the issue. I was. I didn't love myself. I didn't respect my own power. Today I do."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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