Women have long been subjected to the burden of upholding impossible beauty standards, perpetuated by societal pressures, media influence, and cultural expectations.
Jessica Simpson knows this all too well, as her physical appearance has been the subject of public scrutiny for decades.
Nevertheless, the 43-year-old starlet has seemingly been on a mission to take some control back from the narrative that is the critics of her looks and therefore took to her Instagram to share some insights regarding her health.
Highlights
- Jessica Simpson battled with alcoholism, embraced sobriety in 2017.
- Shared unrecognizable 2017 photo to highlight addiction struggles.
- Lost 100 lbs without weight-loss drugs, credits willpower.
Jessica shared an old picture of herself which was taken six years ago, reminding people that she battled with alcoholism
Image credits: jessicasimpson
On Thursday (November 2), Jessica shared an image of herself she had published in 2021 but was taken six years ago, on her Instagram stories, prompting remarks about how different she looked.
In her 2020 memoir Open Book, the 1990s icon disclosed that she embraced sobriety in 2017.
Subsequently, Jessica posted the photo in question, which displayed her during a difficult time when she was struggling with substance abuse.
Sharing a picture from 2017, Jessica revealed that she was in active addiction at that time
Image credits: jessicasimpson
The uncomplimentary picture captures the blonde actress looking drastically different from her current appearance, dressed in a pink tracksuit while seated in a dimly lit room.
“This person in the early morning of Nov 1, 2017 is an unrecognizable version of myself,” the mom-of-three wrote in the caption.
She continued: “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.”
Jessica went on to reveal that her vice was alcohol and that she had to cut it out of her life because it had been keeping her “mind and heart circling in the same direction”, resulting in her exhaustion.
Jessica claimed she lost 100 lbs without the use of Ozempic
Image credits: jessicasimpson
“I can’t believe it has been 4yrs! It feels like maybe 2. I think that is a good thing. Ha,” she wrote.
The singer continued: “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.
“The drinking wasn’t the issue. I was. I didn’t love myself. I didn’t respect my own power.
“Today I do. I have made nice with the fears and I have accepted the parts of my life that are just sad.
“I own my personal power with soulful courage. I am wildly honest and comfortably open. I am free.”
Within the pages of her memoir, Jessica shared her journey to sobriety, reflecting on her struggles with substance abuse. "I was killing myself with all the drinking and pills," she revealed.
"Giving up the alcohol was easy. I was mad at that bottle. At how it allowed me to stay complacent and numb," she admitted.
"I didn’t love myself. I didn’t respect my own power," Jessica wrote in her memoir
Image credits: jessicasimpson
In her memoir, Jessica also revealed that a particular wake-up call came during a Halloween party, when she had been so zoned out she was unable to dress her children.
"I was terrified of letting them see me in that shape," Jessica wrote at the time, as per People. "I am ashamed to say that I don't know who got them into their costumes that night."
Image credits: jessicasimpson
The snap which portrayed the MTV star in active addiction sparked debates regarding her rumored usage of Ozempic, a diabetes prescription medication that has become notoriously popular amongst A-listers for promoting rapid weight loss.
The actress’ most recent selfies do indeed display a staggering difference from her 2017 pictures. Nevertheless, Jessica has denied allegations of any weight-loss drug use.
The star shared that her wake-up call came during a Halloween party, when she was so zoned out that she couldn't dress her kids
Image credits: jessicasimpson
Following a sponsored post for Pottery Barn Kids which went viral and stirred Ozempic-related comments from fans, Jessica claimed her radical weight loss boiled down to “willpower”.
She told Bustle: “I’m like, do people want me to be drinking again? Because that’s when I was heavier. Or they want me to be having another baby? My body can’t do it.”
"I was mad at the bottle. At how it allowed me to stay complacent and numb," she said
Image credits: jessicasimpson
According to UC Davis Health, experts recommend that people avoid using Ozempic unless they have type 2 diabetes and that they should instead talk to their healthcare provider about starting their weight loss journey.
Jessica and her husband, former NFL player Eric Johnson, are parents to three children
Image credits: jessicasimpson
As Jessica previously contemplated her weight loss journey, a path that involved shedding 100 pounds following her peak weight of 260 pounds during her pregnancy with her daughter Birdie Mae, the artist discussed her quest to achieve body acceptance.
She revealed that her role in the 2005 film Dukes of Hazzard had set an unattainable “gold standard” for her body, which she now sought to move beyond.
Jessica and her husband, former NFL player Eric Johnson, are parents to three children: Maxwell, who is 11 years old, Ace, who is 10, and Birdie, who is four.
Many people came to Jessica's defense, stating body changes were normal
