The Red Flags We Couldn't Ignore In Jessica Simpson & Eric Johnson's Relationship

Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson have decided to separate. On January 14, 2025, Simpson told People, "Eric and I have been living separately navigating a painful situation in our marriage. Our children come first, and we are focusing on what is best for them. 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." Simpson and Johnson were married for ten years, after tying the knot on July 5, 2014 in San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California. They share three children: daughter Maxwell "Maxi" Drew, son Ace Knute, and daughter Birdie Mae.

Simpson and Johnson, a former NFL player, met in 2010 through a mutual friend, and got engaged after six months of dating. It was during their marriage that Simpson decided to get sober. In a candid display of destroying the stigma around addiction, Simpson has openly discussed her journey with sobriety. In a post shared to Instagram in November 2017, Simpson wrote about wanting to take her power back. "I didn't love myself. I didn't respect my own power," she wrote in the caption. Simpson later said that her husband quit drinking the moment she decided it was time to get sober. So Simpson and Johnson's decision to separate comes with some surprises. They seemed like a unified front and very supportive of life's journeys. However, there were a few details we noted that were red flags in their relationship, and now those flashing lights make more sense. 

A few months before Jessica Simpson announced her separation from husband Eric Johnson, the singer shared a post to Instagram that was slightly puzzling. Now in hindsight, the post makes a lot more sense. On November 11, 2024, the "With You" singer posted a photo of herself sitting in a chair wearing latex, platform boots. "Interviews in my Nashville music room where I unearthed my singular magic," she began in the caption. "This comeback is personal, it's an apology to myself for putting up with everything I did not deserve." While fans initially responded with excitement about the possibility of Simpson releasing new music, people also picked up on the tone of her caption, and surmised that all was not right with her relationship to Johnson. 

"Lots of thirst traps lately," one fan began, commenting on Simpson's Instagram presence. "[I]t's giving single woman." Another fan was on the pulse of things. "So you're getting divorced," they mused in the comments. "I am guessing she is divorced because she has been cryptic for months," someone else noted. It was Simpson's mention of putting up with things she didn't deserve that struck many people as a red flag in her marriage. While she didn't explicitly reference her husband, it certainly didn't sound like things were going well. It seems Simpson was using her return to music as a way to signal that big changes were coming. Sure enough, news of their separation broke only a few months later. 

Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson had to take a relationship break in 2024 before deciding to split for good. Trial separations aren't always a red flag. In some instances, they can give a couple some time to cool off and reflect on their relationship. However, taking a break doesn't always work, and there are certain signs to look out for to assess whether a break is the right decision for your relationship. Occasionally, relationship breaks can be a smart strategy, but they can also be a huge red flag that one or more parties don't want to really commit for the long-haul. This was obviously the case with Simpson and Johnson. 

Following news of their split, one source told Page Six that the duo initially decided to split up in 2024 to see what that felt like being apart. It became clear that things weren't working when Simpson began enjoying her life alone more than her life with Johnson. "Jess thought it would help if they spent some time apart," the source said, "but it only made her realize she enjoyed her independence." So while trial separations don't necessarily mean that the relationship is doomed, they can certainly be a bad sign. They can show avoidance on the part of one or both partners to deal with the relationship's issues. Communication is more likely to falter, since the couple isn't living together, and open communication is crucial for a strong marriage. Also, if life starts to feel better alone, this is a pretty clear sign that the marriage isn't working. 

Don't get us wrong. Being married before does not mean that later marriages are always doomed. Not at all. However, statistically, the odds of divorce increase if the spouses have already gone through a marriage and divorce. For Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson, both of them had been previously married. Simpson was married to Nick Lachey from 2002 to 2005. Meanwhile, Johnson had been married from 2005 to 2010 to a teacher named Keri D'Angelo. 

Second marriages tend to fail at a higher rate than first ones, and the fact that both Simpson and Johnson were previously married confirms this red flag. Divorce law firm Goldberg Jones claims that first marriages have a 40% chance of failing, while second marriages have a 60% chance of failing. This can happen for all sorts of reasons that are unique to each relationships, and the histories that come with each person. After living through one divorce and coming out of it alive, partners can be more prone to divorce again. There can be jealousy and resentments about ex partners. There can be a more cynical attitude towards marriage since it didn't work the first time. Only Simpson and Johnson know the deeper reasons, but statistically, they were already more likely to separate. 

While no one went into detail, a source claimed that there were "trust issues" in Jessica Simpson's marriage with Eric Johnson. It was their primary reason for separating. "Jess and Eric had trust issues," a source told Page Six. "They were no longer on the same page, and it drove a wedge between them." Since Simpson didn't elaborate on what caused the trust issues, we can't guess how or when they began in their marriage. Unsurprisingly though, this can be detrimental to a marriage.

While there are ways to rebuild trust in a relationship, it can be very detrimental to a marriage. Part of the toughest thing about trust issues is how they manifest between a couple. A partner can feel jealous and mistrustful, likely for understandable reasons if the trust has been broken. They can need lots of reassurance, which the other partner might not be willing to work at. There can be ongoing suspicion and possessiveness as a result of these issues, as well. For all of these reasons, and more that are unique to each partnership, trust issues can destroy a relationship and for Simpson and Johnson, it seems like this is the case. 

Looking back on the arc of their relationship, Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson showed a lack of connection through their body language. This is particularly true in the final years of their marriage, where paparazzi often caught shots of the two walking far apart from each other. While not everybody is a huge fan of hand holding, it's normal for couples to enjoy chatting together and staying near each other when moving around. Physical gaps when walking can frequently indicate a lack of emotional comfort. The fact that Simpson was often photographed in front of or behind Johnson shows that there wasn't much communication happening between them. A lack of physical contact can indicate a disinterest or distance; it can also mean that one or both partners doesn't see the other as a source of security and stability. 

That physical distance is often reflected in virtual distance. Fans picked up on the fact that in the year leading up to their separation, Simpson shared photos on Instagram with her children, but not Johnson. Most recently, Simpson posted a back-to-school photo in September 2024, and Johnson was notably absent from the family shot. Sure, partners who travel or work can't always be in every family photo, but the fact that Johnson was consistently missing from Simpson's social media feed suggests an estrangement that was already in place.